<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>When Your Body Changes by SterekShipper</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27582833">When Your Body Changes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekShipper/pseuds/SterekShipper'>SterekShipper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Cursed Theo [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>teen wolf - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Cursed Theo Raeken, Genderbending Theo Raeken, M/M, POV Alternating, Post canon, emerging relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:22:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,293</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27582833</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekShipper/pseuds/SterekShipper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Another day. Another witch. Another curse.</p><p>Theo needs a new life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Cursed Theo [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here it is! The second instalment in my ‘Cursed Theo’ series. 😁</p><p>Sorry for the wait. I’ll post each chapter as I finish editing them. I hope y’all enjoy this story as much as the last. 🤞😃</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a lucky he was trying to be good. If he wasn’t, the town would be in trouble. He had never felt this murderous before. Even when he’d been de-aged. It turns out he was wrong to think it couldn’t get any worse. As he stood there in Liam’s bathroom, staring furiously at his reflection, he was fighting a losing battle against his temper. He was this close to tearing Beacon Hills apart. He was this close to storming out and tracking that woman down. Of course, he couldn’t do that. Aside from the obvious, he couldn’t leave this room. Not like this. Not in his current state.<br/>
Truth be told, that was the only thing keeping him in check. His sense of self-preservation was the only thing preventing him from ripping someone’s head off. It wouldn’t take much at this point. One wrong look and that would be it.</p><p>Why did he have to fall asleep? They’d been playing games at Liam’s the night before. It was supposed to be one night. A little fun before going home. But oh no. No, he had to go and fall asleep on the couch. Do you think Liam woke him up? No. Liam just grabbed a blanket for him, before going to bed himself. Thankfully, he didn’t have any nightmares that night. The morning however, definitely was. Unfortunately, he was awake for it and it was very, very real. That’s how he found out. Opening his eyes to see he was still at Liam’s was confusing in itself, but that was soon forgotten. As soon as he stood up, letting the blanket fall, he nearly screamed. It was the last thing he’d expected to see. No one would have expected that.<br/>
The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth; he’d practically bitten his tongue off in an attempt to prevent the sound threatening to escape. A mix of horror and shock had settled in instantly, sending him over the edge. He ran for the bathroom; a room which seemed to be quickly becoming his safe haven. This was the second time he’d had to hide in one. It wasn’t a fact he enjoyed.</p><p>“Theo?”<br/>
Liam. Why did it have to be Liam’s? He had never wanted to be back in his truck, more than he did now. “Don’t come in here!”<br/>
“Why not?”<br/>
“It’s the bathroom, Liam. Not a party.” He really didn’t want to see Liam, right now. Or anyone, for that matter.<br/>
“It’s not like we haven’t seen each other shirtless before. Just throw a towel on.”<br/>
This boy never gave up. “Go away, Liam.”<br/>
“This is my house, Theo.” He could hear the hint of frustration working its way into Liam’s voice. He could hear the way Liam seemed to be controlling it, as though trying to stay calm.<br/>
“It’s too early for this. Leave me alone.”<br/>
“Since when have you been modest?”<br/>
“Liam.” He couldn’t restrain the growl any longer. He wasn’t in the mood for this. “If you don’t shut up-”<br/>
“You’ll what? I’m not afraid of you.”<br/>
“I mean it.”<br/>
“Then you should have locked the door.”<br/>
The door... shit! He’d forgotten all about the door! He’d been too preoccupied with what he saw. He’d been too horrified as he fought back another scream upon seeing his reflection. He heard the handle turning, missing a beat as it opened.</p><p>“No, don’t!”<br/>
Too late. It was too late. Standing there, frozen in the doorway, was Liam. Eyes widening by the second. He wrapped his arms tightly around his chest, cursing the heat he could feel rising in his cheeks.<br/>
“What the-?”<br/>
“Get out.” He refused to look at Liam. He couldn’t.<br/>
“What happened?”<br/>
“I said get out.” In hindsight, it was lucky it was Liam who’d found him. Anyone else would have been unconscious by now, if not worse. As it was, the only reason Liam was still talking was because of his help with the brand. So far they’d come up empty, but Liam hadn’t given up. That was the only reason he hadn’t attacked him... yet. That might change though, if Liam didn’t shut up.<br/>
“Not until you tell me how you managed to get yourself cursed. Again.” Liam sounded unimpressed. Like it was his fault. Well, it wasn’t. He didn’t do anything. He hadn’t asked for this. He wouldn’t be spoken to like this. As if he was to blame. He finally turned around to face Liam.</p><p>“Don’t look at me like that. I did <em>not</em> cause this.”<br/>
“Like you didn’t cause Morgana to de-age you?”<br/>
He really wanted to wipe that look of Liam’s face. That raised eyebrow. The blatant disbelief. “That was different.”<br/>
“How?”<br/>
“Morgana was attacking the town, Liam! She was kidnapping and draining people! She was killing them!”<br/>
“So you decided to throw yourself at her. Great plan. Let me guess. You did the same thing this time.”</p><p>What is it with people assuming they know everything? That they know him? Liam wasn’t even there when it happened. No one was. He and that <em>woman </em>had been alone. Who was Liam to tell him what he did or did not do?<br/>
“I told you-” He bit out through clenched teeth. “-I didn’t <em>do</em> anything.”<br/>
“You weren’t turned into a girl for no reason, Theo.” The way Liam said it, so carefree, so straightforward, like he wasn’t having an internal crisis, infuriated him. He had <em>literally</em> woken up in a different body; one of the opposite gender at that, but hey. No need to worry. It wasn’t a cause for alarm or anything. “No one goes around cursing people for the sake of it.”</p><p>“I’m pretty sure they do, Liam. Witches aren’t exactly known for being hospitable. Just because Deaton knows the one who is, doesn’t mean all witches mean no harm. Just look at what Morgana did. Did she have a reason to hurt those people? What did they do to deserve that?” He was so tired of arguing about why it was him. Why was he the one to get cursed? Why was it always him? Liam seemed to think he hadn’t asked himself that very question repeatedly this morning. He had, and much to his annoyance, it had gotten him nowhere. He still had no answers. “It doesn’t matter.”<br/>
“I’d say it does, Theo. If you plan on fixing it-”<br/>
“I’ll deal with it myself.” If Liam wanted to focus on his supposed role in this, then he could just leave. He could do this on his own.<br/>
“Don’t be stubborn. I can help.”<br/>
“I don’t need your help. Now, like I said before. Get out.”<br/>
“Theo.” Liam sighed. As if it were <em>Liam</em> who was the victim here. As if <em>Liam</em> was being unfairly treated and not him.<br/>
“No.”<br/>
“I didn’t say anything, yet!”<br/>
“I don’t care. Whatever it is, the answer’s no. You clearly care more about blaming me than finding a solution, so just go.”<br/>
“You know what? Fine. If you want to be a stubborn dick, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes as Liam <em>finally</em> left the room. The problem was, he was back to where he’d started. He still had no idea as to how he was going to get his body back. His real body. One look in the mirror told him what he already knew. He had no choice but to ask Liam for help. As much as he hated the idea, it was his only option. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door. He was reluctant to leave, but he couldn’t stay in Liam’s bathroom forever. Looking carefully around the hall, he let out a breath when he realised Jenna and David were nowhere to be seen. In fact, he only now realised they weren’t even home. He really had been distracted by this unwanted distraction.</p><p>By the time he made it to Liam’s bedroom, Liam was sitting at his computer. He stood uncomfortably in the doorway, feeling out of place. If being nine again was bad, this was just downright awkward. Trying to gauge how to start the conversation, he slowly closed the door. A semblance of privacy rose with that small action. The last thing he needed was for Jenna or David to arrive home and walk in on them. Given how preoccupied he was, he wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t hear them pull up.<br/>
“What am I supposed to do?”<br/>
“That’s up to you.” Liam didn’t even look up.<br/>
“What?” What on earth was that supposed to mean?<br/>
“If I recall, you specifically said you <em>didn’t</em> want my help.” Liam still didn’t look at him. It was like Liam really didn’t care.<br/>
“You’re not seriously using that?”<br/>
“Your words, Theo.”<br/>
“This isn’t funny, Liam.” How could Liam use that against him? He’d said that in the moment. Yes, he’d meant it at the time, but they both knew it wasn’t the truth. They both knew he needed help, whether he liked it or not. Angry or not, how could Liam hold that moment of pride over him?<br/>
“I never said it was. I offered to help, and you basically bit my head off.”</p><p>“Come on, Liam. I’m here, aren’t I? Now, do something.” Liam simply continued typing on his computer. As if this wasn’t important. As if they weren’t talking about his life right now. “<em>Liam</em>.” He took a step back at the sudden sound of laughter. Liam was laughing. Liam was actually <em>laughing</em>. This wasn’t happening. Why was it always him? It didn’t matter how many times he asked, it never changed anything. Here he was trying, and Liam was laughing at him. “Do you think this is easy?! Do you think I like being <em>stuck</em> like this?! Newsflash. I don’t!”<br/>
“I’m not stupid, Theo.” Liam finally met his gaze. “I know you hate this. I know this isn’t easy for you, but that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on me.”</p><p>“What do you expect me to say?”<br/>
“Did you ever think an ‘I’m sorry?’ might be nice?”<br/>
Liam was going to be the death of him. “I’m not apologising for being cursed.”<br/>
Liam had the nerve to roll his eyes. “This isn’t about the curse. It’s about how you reacted.”<br/>
“I’m allowed to be pissed, Liam.” His glare elicited little more than a huff from Liam. “I won’t be told how to act. You’re not the one who has to deal with it.”<br/>
“Then go home. If you don’t like what I have to say, just go.”<br/>
“You can’t be serious.” No answer. “Liam.” Once again, he was met with silence. “I’m not going out there. Not like this.”<br/>
“You’re not staying here.”<br/>
Liam wouldn’t really make him leave, would he? He glanced at the window and swallowed. There was no way he could go out there and not be seen. “Liam, please. It’s the middle of the day.” He still didn’t receive an answer and he was becoming desperate. If Liam meant it... “Don’t do this.”</p><p>The silence continued, uninterrupted. Instead of listening to his pleas, Liam simply stood up and opened the door. He watched as Liam stood there, waiting. Waiting for him to leave. To go outside where anyone could see him...<br/>
“Alright!” That got Liam’s attention. “I’m sorry. Happy?”<br/>
Liam had the nerve to smile. “I guess it’ll have to do.”<br/>
“Just do something.” He nearly growled, but stopped himself at the last second. He didn’t want to piss Liam off again and have him refuse to help. Again. This needed to stop. Now. He sat down on the bed near Liam, (who had returned to his desk); eyes dropping to where Liam picked up his phone. “What are you doing?”<br/>
“Calling Scott. He might know-”<br/>
“No!” It was lucky he could control his heartbeat, because he knew it would have escalated immediately. “Have you lost your mind?”<br/>
“What?” Apparently, Liam didn’t understand what the problem was. Of course he had to explain.</p><p>“I know you’ve taken a few too many knocks to the head during Lacrosse, but I didn’t think you were this far gone.” Maybe not the best thing to say right now, but he couldn’t help it.<br/>
“My head is fine.” Liam snapped.<br/>
“You can’t tell Scott.”<br/>
“He might know-”<br/>
“What part of this do you not understand? You <em>can’t</em> tell him. You can’t tell <em>anyone.</em>”<br/>
“How exactly do you expect us to fix this on our own?”<br/>
“Figure it out!”<br/>
“What is your problem?!”<br/>
“In case you forgot, I’m a girl! A <em>girl</em>, Liam! I don’t need Scott or anyone else for that matter seeing me like this! Don’t even get me <em>started </em>on Stiles.” He didn’t like the sudden intense gaze Liam directed at him. The way Liam wouldn’t look away. He knew it meant something was coming. An insight he was almost certain he wouldn’t like. It felt like he was being dissected. Pulled apart one piece at a time until there was nothing left to hide. Until he had been laid bare. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought. “What?”</p><p>“You’re embarrassed.” There was that grin. The same grin he was really starting to despise. It had been at his expense far too often lately.<br/>
”Don’t be ridiculous.”<br/>
”Theo?”<br/>
“I am <em>not</em> embarrassed.” It could have worked, if he didn’t slip up. For the first time in years, he slipped up and his heart skipped a beat.“That was pathetic. Especially for you.”<br/>
He would love to see someone curse Liam right now. Then we’d see who’s laughing. “You want to hear me say it? Fine! I’m embarrassed! You would be too if it were you.”</p><p>“This is the best day ever.”<br/>
“<em>Liam</em>.”<br/>
“Come on, Theo. Look at it from my side. I never thought I’d see the day you were embarrassed by something.”<br/>
“It’s not funny, Liam.” His cheeks had to be bright red by this point. Twice. Twice in one day he’d found himself blushing. That was more than he had in his entire life. Which up until today, had been never. A number he sorely missed.<br/>
“If you want my advice, you should get a bra.” The heat in his face doubled. He crossed his arms, shielding his chest. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I’ll stop.” Liam slowly reigned in his amusement. Visibly at least. Liam couldn’t hide his chemosignals. “I won’t call anyone, but I hope you have an idea because I, for one, don’t.”<br/>
“Why does this keep happening to me?” He hated this. He hated his life.<br/>
“Maybe because you keep pissing off witches. Which you still haven’t told me what you did, by the way.”<br/>
“I told you, I didn’t <em>do</em> anything. Also, Morgana was because I posed the biggest threat. Maybe you’re just jealous that you weren’t dangerous or threatening enough.”</p><p>“Why would I be jealous of you being turned into a child and then a girl? I’m quite happy where I am, thanks.”<br/>
“Morgana feared me more than you.”<br/>
“Are you forgetting the part where she called you unstable?”<br/>
“Considering she kidnapped a group of people to essentially <em>feed</em> off of them, I wouldn’t put too much credit in her evaluations of my mental state.”<br/>
“Keep telling yourself that.”</p><p>It was nice. To joke about the mess he was in. To let go of the tension. If only for a moment. He took a deep breathe before speaking. “One person.” Liam looked at him in confusion. He tried again. “You can tell one person. About this... situation. That’s it, and you are <em>not</em> telling them what the curse is. I mean it, Liam.”<br/>
Liam relented, agreeing without a trace of a complaint. “Mason?”<br/>
“Fine.” Out of the Pack, Mason was probably the best option. It was better than Stiles, Scott or Malia. There was even a chance Mason could find something. He really hoped that was the case.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Liam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Theo had thrown himself onto his bed as soon as they’d agreed on calling Mason. The anger he’d felt building, the frustration at Theo’s disgruntled attitude, faded instantly upon hearing those final words. For all Theo’s strength, there was a note of vulnerability to his voice when uttering the words ‘you are not telling them what the curse is’.<br/>He might have been a little too hard on Theo. Given what Theo was going through. He couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like. The dial tone was grating as he waited for Mason to pick up.<br/>“Hey, Liam. What’s up?”<br/>“Hey, Mase. I need your help, but this stays between us. That means no Corey.” Those two were practically inseparable. They shared everything.<br/>“O-kay. Not ominous at all.”<br/>“Mason.”<br/>“Alright. Secrets. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. Now what is this about?”<br/>“Theo’s been cursed.”<br/>“<em>Again</em>?”<br/>He could feel Theo’s glare behind him. “Yes, again.”<br/>“What is it this time?”<br/>“I can’t say.”<br/>“I can’t look Liam, if I don’t know what to look for.”<br/>“Just check for anything on any curse that affects your appearance.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t narrow it down, Liam. Do you know how many appearance-based spells there are? Hundreds. They cover everything, from warts and skin colour, to blistering burns and turning one’s body inside out. Don’t ask about that last one. Trust me. You don’t want to know what that looks like. You’re going to have to give me something more specific.”<br/>Biting his lip, he spared a glance towards the figure on his bed. Theo merely pressed a pillow over his head and waved, as if to say ‘just do it’.<br/>“It changed Theo’s gender.”<br/>There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line, before an abrupt bout of laughter arose.</p>
<p>He heard Theo’s low growl and the brief drop in Theo’s heartbeat. This was exactly what Theo had been afraid of. “Liam, if Mason wants to live to see tomorrow, you better tell him to shut up.”<br/>“Mase, you’re not helping.”<br/>“I’m sorry, but only Theo could manage that.”<br/>This time Theo didn’t hold back; the growl positively deadly.<br/>“<em>Mason</em>.”<br/>“Okay. I’ll check my books.” Hopefully, this worked. “Oh, and Liam. Send me a photo.”<br/>Before he could answer, his phone was ripped from his hand. He turned in time to see it hurled across the room, smashing as it collided with the wall.<br/>“Hey!” Theo just walked back to the bed and laid down, once again burying his head in his pillow. Theo seemed to really like it. “What was that for?!”<br/>“I am not going to sit here while Mason laughs at me.”<br/>“You owe me a new phone.” He chose to believe he did not pout. Not at all.<br/>“Just be glad I don’t owe you a new friend.”<br/>That time he scoffed, much to Theo’s annoyance. “We both know you wouldn’t hurt Mason.” Theo narrowed his gaze. “You couldn’t do it.”<br/>“Want to bet?”</p>
<p>Stubborn, irritable and foolish. He’d always known about the first two traits however, he’d never thought anyone could call Theo foolish... until now. “You couldn’t hurt a fly. You’re not that person anymore.” Theo would have spoken, but he didn’t give him the chance. “Besides, how are you planning to do it? To get to Mason, you’d have to go outside and the last time I checked, you weren’t exactly keen on that. How are you planning to kill Mason without being seen?”<br/>Theo flinched. He could almost see Theo picturing it, almost hear the image tuning in Theo’s mind. Even then, Theo refused to back down.<br/>“You’d be surprised what I can do with the right motivation.”</p>
<p>You know what? Fine. If Theo wouldn’t think about this logically, he’d have to do it for him. “We both know if you piss Mason off he won’t help. I think you know as well as I do what that would mean.” Theo paled slightly, swallowing hard. He might finally be able to push the point home. “So, if you don’t want the Pack to find out, then you need to play nice.”</p>
<p>Theo simply nodded. It left a drawn out silence in its place. Stifling in its intensity.<br/>“Do you want to watch another movie?” Again, Theo nodded. “Did we finish Indiana Jones?”<br/>“We were up to the last one.” He heard a hint of excitement in Theo’s voice. Theo had let quite a few emotions slip through lately.<br/>“You never watched it?”<br/>“I didn’t get a chance.” There seemed to be  something hidden in that admission however, he let it go for now.<br/>“Well then, ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull’, here we come.”<br/>They were half an hour in and Theo was fully engaged in the story. Unfortunately, so was he. It was his favourite part of the series. As a result, neither of them heard the front door open or the rapidly approaching footsteps. It was only when they heard the handle to his own door turning they realised, and by then it was too late. His mum stopped, looking between the two of them. There was a second where he knew she was going to tell him off for having a girl in his room. Apparently, being an adult now didn’t make him exempt from that rule. No matter how much he complained. In fact, his complaints were used against him as the very reason for the rule. <em>Not responsible.</em> Seriously? The supernatural, according to his parents, didn’t count when it came to relationships. He also saw the moment his mum realised <em>who</em> was sitting next to him.</p>
<p>“Care to explain?”<br/>Theo shifted beside him, clearly uncomfortable. He had to answer, but he didn’t need to go into detail. “Another witch.”<br/>“Oh, Theo. You’re not having much luck, are you?”<br/>He had never seen Theo so awkward before. There was a tightness to the smile his mum received, a forced tilt to his lips. Thankfully, his mum didn’t ask any other questions; instead, stating a quick, ‘I’ll be downstairs if you need me’ as she closed the door.</p>
<p>He’d forgotten to press pause on the DVD, but neither of them were in the mood to continue watching. Turning the TV off, he glanced at Theo who had once again buried his face in his pillow.<br/>“You know, I’m starting to think you like that.”<br/>“It’s soft.” Theo’s mumbled reply came.<br/>“Yours isn’t?” He laughed. That was sort of the point.<br/>“No.”<br/>“Might need a new one then.”<br/>“Yeah.”<br/>Ok. Not in a talking mood. Maybe he could coax a few more words out of Theo. “Ready to tell me what really happened? With the witch? I’m still wondering what was bad enough to result in this.”<br/>“I told you! I didn’t cause this! How is it <em>my</em> fault she can’t take no for an answer?” Theo groaned.<br/>“Can’t take... wait. That’s what this is about? You turned down a witch?”<br/>“Yes.” Okay, now Theo was <em>definitely</em> sulking. It was cute. It was- Hang on. <em>Cute</em>? Where had that come from? You know what? Never mind. It was just a mistake.</p>
<p>“What’s her name?”<br/>“How should I know?” It came across petulant. Theo wasn’t prepared to even pretend to be interested in the conversation.<br/>“She didn’t tell you when she asked you out?” What had the girl said?<br/>“I didn’t give her the chance.”<br/>“What do you mean you didn’t-”<br/>“I knew what she wanted, Liam. There was no point dragging it out. I wasn’t going to lead her to believe she had a chance.” Theo said it as if it made perfect sense. As if it wasn’t rude and insensitive.<br/>“Theo, you could have at least let her talk for more than two seconds, instead of shutting her down. No wonder she’s angry.”<br/>“I’m not responsible for making a witch who can’t handle rejection feel better.”</p>
<p>Why does he bother? Theo was never going to agree with him. It didn’t work like that. It would be too easy. Honestly, he’d probably be worried if Theo had acknowledged the truth that soon. “I still don’t understand. Why make you a girl? Sure, being rejected isn’t fun, but how does this make sense?”<br/>Sighing, Theo finally rolled over, eyes closed as he faced the ceiling. “She didn’t like my reason.”<br/>“Which was?”<br/>“She’s not my type.”<br/>Not his... oh, boy. “You’re an idiot.”<br/>“Excuse me?” Came the disgruntled reply. If he hadn’t closed his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly, he was sure he’d see Theo’s scowl. For someone who insisted they hadn’t done anything wrong, adamantly at that, Theo had just proved the exact opposite. It always came back to something Theo had said or done.</p>
<p>“<em>Theo</em>. You passed because of her looks. It’s no wonder she did this. She probably wanted to teach you what that feels like. To be judged and mocked.”<br/>“It’s not like that!” Theo sat up suddenly. “I didn’t mean to insult her!”<br/>“You basically called the girl ugly.” He actually laughed. Nothing about this was funny, but he couldn’t help himself. It was ridiculous and yet, here Theo was, completely unaware as to where he’d gone wrong. “What were you expecting?”<br/>“I didn’t say that!”<br/>“You may as well have. Honestly, I don’t blame her. You sort of deserve it.”<br/>He froze at the hurt in Theo’s eyes. His mouth went dry, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. It wasn’t supposed to sound that harsh.<br/>“That wasn’t what I meant. I only meant I don’t date girls.” It was muttered under Theo’s breath, but it made his heart stop nonetheless. There was so much in those few words. A whispered confession.</p>
<p>“Wha-what?”<br/>“You heard me.”<br/>“I- I didn’t know.”<br/>“You say that like you were entitled to.”<br/>“No, no. I just meant-”<br/>“That it changes everything.”<br/>“It does.” He backtracked at the vulnerability he saw under Theo’s glare. “Not like that. It doesn’t change how I see you or who you are. Theo, Mason’s my best friend. Then there’s Corey. I’m the <em>last </em>person you need to worry about. I’m not going to judge you. I just meant it changes what I said about the curse.” How did he apologise for that? For being so insensitive? “I’m sorry. I never should have said you deserved it. You don’t.”<br/>“Why? Just because of who I like?”<br/>Theo was really worried about this. He’d never heard so much insecurity in Theo’s voice. “No, because I had it all wrong. I made an assumption and accused you of something you didn’t do. I really am sorry, Theo.”</p>
<p>Theo laid down, resting on his side. Since Theo was facing him, it was easy to see the way Theo’s eyes remained down cast. The gentle pull of Theo’s lower lip between his teeth. “Liam... I, ah... you’re the only person who knows.”<br/>Wow. That was unexpected. Although, it did explain the expressions and reaction he’d just witnessed. “I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re wondering.”<br/>“Promise?”<br/>His heart broke a little at that quiet plea. “I promise.”<br/>They didn’t talk for the rest of the day. They didn’t need to. He did however, need to let his mum know Theo would be staying for a while.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Jenna</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know this one’s short, but I thought a little insight into Jenna’s view would be nice. 😃</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You would think she’d seen everything by now. I mean Liam’s 22. She had already been through enough trials over the years. Between the girls, his IED and oh yeah, the <em>supernatural</em>. When you add that in, what else could wrong? Well, it would seem a lot. As it turns out, there had been a lot happening in Beacon Hills that she had been unaware of. Blissfully so, she might add. Now she knew what was really out there, and how close her son was to the danger. Theo was always right there with him, but still. That didn’t make it any easier. Knowing that one day Liam might not make it home... It was a parents’ worst nightmare.<br/>Now within the space a few months, she’d had a de-aged <em>and</em> female Theo in her house. This was out of control. She wished life would give both Liam and Theo a break. Especially Theo, seeing as what he’d been through in general, let alone recently.<br/>“Hey, Mum?”<br/>“Yes, Liam?”<br/>“Is it okay if Theo stays here for a little while? Just until we turn him back. He doesn’t want to go out like this.”<br/>“Of course, honey. You know he’s welcome anytime. Just... try to be gentle? It can’t be easy for him right now.”<br/>“I know, mum. I’m trying.”</p>
<p>Once Liam had gone back upstairs, she took a deep breath. She still had to prepare David. The last thing any of them needed was for another shock reveal. Partially considering David didn’t handle surprises well. She wasn’t worried about how he’d feel. That wasn’t a problem. David would never intentionally hurt anyone, but that was why they avoided any sort of surprise around her husband. He wasn’t known for thinking first when caught off guard, and he might just say something that embarrassed Theo.<br/>There was never going to be a dull day with these two.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A possible trigger warning.</p><p>There’s a mention of Theo’s panic attacks in a little more detail in this chapter. Not for too long and seen through thoughts, but I wanted to put a note just in case.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The prospect of having a shower left him cringing. It was daunting. Real. It was one of the few times he wasn’t covered. Nearly every moment was spent shielded by Liam’s padded clothing. Taking a deep breath, he quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. He purposely avoided the mirror. There may be no choice when it came to routine tasks such as showering however, he was determined not to face it. He’d get through this without looking. All he had to do was close his eyes. It was that simple. That is, if he hadn’t spotted his upper chest. Something was out of place. More to the point, the lack of something. <em>The brand</em>. The one that hunters had burned into his skin. The brand which had been a part of him for months. It was gone. He’d seen it only a few days ago but now... it was just gone. At least there’s one positive.</p><p>“Don’t let him in.”<br/>The doorbell rung as Mason waited outside. He’d been halfway to the spare room he was staying in, when he’d heard Mason’s heartbeat.<br/>“Well, he wouldn’t need to if <em>someone</em> hadn’t broken my phone.”<br/>Would it be bad if he knocked Liam out? It’s for a good reason. Maintaining his sanity and dignity was becoming increasingly difficult, especially when Liam insisted on letting people in the house. He wasn’t waiting around. Liam could meet him upstairs. He went straight to Liam’s closet and rummaged through the piles of clothes. If Liam had a problem with it, too bad. He needed to find a hoodie or two, maybe a hat... that’ll work.</p><p>By the time he heard his name, he was ready.<br/>“Theo. We’re coming in.”<br/>He was met with two equally stunned stares. Liam froze halfway through the doorway, blocking Mason from stepping closer. Neither had expected to find him like this. He merely stared back, unfazed.<br/>“What are you wearing?” Mason struggled to form the words.<br/>“Well, Mason, it’s called clothing.”</p><p>The irritation he picked up on was welcomed. If he had to suffer through this, then he could at least enjoy dragging Mason down with him. After all, Mason being here was the only reason he was currently wrapped in six layers of clothing. He had covered every part of his body which could reveal what he looked like. Two hoodies. A jumper. His hair hidden under the hoodies and an extra beanie. An added precaution to hold it in place, preventing any loose strands slipping out of their concealment. Two scarfs wrapped firmly around his face and neck; one blocking the opening to the blanket, while the other obscured half his face. On top of all that, the lower half of his body lay under Liam’s blanket. He was taking no chances.</p><p>“Don’t you think this is excessive?” Mason didn’t understand. No one did. Even Liam stood in shocked silence despite the conversation occurring in front of the beta. It was usual for him to walk around in a two hoodies. His chest was what bothered him the most, followed closely by his long hair. The added layers allowed him to exert some discretion. He’d tried to cut his hair at first, but it didn’t work out as he’d hoped. Oh, had he been wrong. Within seconds of finishing, it grew back longer and thicker than it was before. He’d quickly ruled out the idea. This was the first time however, he’d worn this many clothes at once.</p><p>“Considering who I’m talking to, no. I don’t.” Did he go overboard? Maybe. Did he care? Not at all. He’d already been laughed at once. He wasn’t about to allow himself to be ridiculed again. Letting himself be seen, may as well be an open invitation for the jokes which would inevitably follow. He was hot and sweating, but he was willing to endure the discomfort to protect what remained of his dignity. “Why are you here?”</p><p>Mason’s sigh was grating. This couldn’t be good. Not if the conversation had induced a sigh before it had even started. “I came up empty.”<br/>No. No, this wasn’t happening. It <em>couldn’t</em> be happening. Not again. “There has to be something.” His voice tinged on vicious. So much so, the other boy took a step back. They had already asked Deaton if Pacifica could do anything. Liam could be very persuasive, and despite his reluctance, he’d agreed to consult the vet. Not that it helped. It proved to be nothing more than a waste of time. According to Deaton, Pacifica was out of town and unavailable. An important assignment. The coven deemed it vital and explicitly expressed that no interruptions would be accepted, unless warranted under life or death circumstances. Which according to Deaton, did not include the death of his dignity.<br/>“All I could find was basic information about what the effects of such a spell are. The ramifications. I couldn’t find anything on how to reverse one.”</p><p>“So, what, that’s it? You’re giving up?” He ignored Liam’s warning glare. He was tired and pissed. If he wanted to vent, he would.<br/>“Stiles might know more.”<br/>He froze. Every fibre of his being was screaming. Screaming at him to run. Run far away. Anywhere he wouldn’t be found.<br/>“Over my dead body.”<br/>“They have more information on this than I do.” Reasonable. As always. Mason had effectively turned the problem back on him. Made it his decision. His body or his pride. It was a decision he couldn’t make, and he hated feeling cornered. It led to unwisely lashing out at whoever was responsible or unlucky enough to be nearby. In this case, that person happened to be Mason.</p><p>“What part of we’re not telling anyone, do you not understand?!”<br/>“Don’t yell at me, Theo. You’re the one who asked for my help.”<br/>“Actually, that was Liam and you haven’t <em>done</em> anything. All you’ve done is waste my time.” Liam’s warnings increased, firmer than before. It went unnoticed, nonetheless. All he saw, all he was aware of was Mason’s deepening scowl.<br/>“If that’s how you feel, then deal with it yourself.”</p><p>Shit. He’d gone too far. What should he do? How could he make Mason stop? He sat motionless, as Mason stormed out of the room with Liam fast on his heels. He hardly saw the frustrated glance Liam directed at him, a second before disappearing out of sight. He didn’t move as Liam descended the stairs. He didn’t move as Liam tried to talk Mason into staying. He didn’t move as Liam tried to explain or at the resigned sigh. The click of a door closing sounded, and he heard footsteps ascending the stairs once more. Only this time, the second pair of steps were missing, He remained still as Liam turned the corner and came into view. He remained silent as Liam berated him for not listening, for taking his anger out on Mason.</p><p>“Theo? Are you even listening to me?”<br/>He couldn’t speak. There were no words for what he felt in that moment.<br/>“Theo!”<br/>What could he do? He’d have to ask Stiles... No. He can’t. He just can’t. The thought alone left him cringing.<br/>“Theo?” Liam’s voice had taken on a softer tone, suddenly closer than a second ago. He looked over from where he’d been staring blankly at the wall ahead, to the side of the bed. Liam bent down, now eye level with him, concern written in those bright blue eyes. “Are you okay?”</p><p>He still didn’t know how to form a response. How to put his thoughts into words. He couldn’t trust his voice to form more than an inaudible whine. So instead, he just shook his head. Liam didn’t say anything. He felt a hand on his, where it lay underneath the blanket. Looking down, he saw that Liam had slid his arm under the side. It was too much. The panic building was all too close to the surface. Ready to make itself known any second now. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t- he couldn’t breathe. No. No, not now. Not with Liam sitting right there.<br/>“Theo?”<br/>Go. He had to go. He needed to be anywhere but under Liam’s watchful gaze. It took him longer than he’d have liked to drag his overladen body out of the covers. When he finally succeeded, he fell to the floor, rushing to stand.<br/>“Theo!”<br/>He ran.</p><p>He’d <em>literally fled</em> Liam’s room. The thought made the increasing pressure on his chest worse. Liam’s calls fell away, left in the distance he was building between them. Everything faded to a blur. The streets passed unseen; a startled ‘watch out!’ and ‘hey!’ sounding in his wake. There was no plan, no direction. He had no idea where he was or where he was going. It was pure instinct driving him. Urging him on. The need to get as far away as possible. He didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. Until he physically couldn’t go any further.</p><p>He collapsed, hands and knees hitting the ground hard. His breaths came out in shallow gasps. Hand clutching at his chest, terror rising rapidly. Eyes forced shut, he dug claws into the palms of his hand. The pain slowly easing the weight he felt. The panic subsided. For a moment, he just lay there. Covered in dirt and let himself breathe. The relief he felt at such a simple, fundamental reflex was immense. It was suffocating and terrifying being so helpless. So vulnerable.</p><p>Liam turned up a few minutes later, frantic.<br/>“What was that?”<br/>“I’m fine.” A dismissive attitude was the only way he would hold himself together. The lingering cold was clutching at his heart, a silent threat. The dreaded reminder it could take hold again at any moment. Reveal its presence to everyone. Leave him shattered and bare. He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. He couldn’t be seen like that. That vulnerable. He took note of the fact they were in the Preserve. Why he’d come here, he didn’t know. Maybe because it was hidden and far from prying eyes.<br/>“That was not fine, Theo. You can’t just run off and expect me not to question it.”<br/>“I can, and I do. I don’t owe you an answer, Liam. So, drop it.”</p><p>There was a clear desire to know more, to be let in. It was too close to the truth. It risked sending him over the edge. As had happened every other time, Liam reluctantly let it go unsaid. It was lucky he was with Liam right now. It was lucky Liam had been the one with him when it took place. Had it been anyone else, he would be in trouble. Scott would be too concerned to let it go. Stiles and Malia would be too suspicious. They’d probably think it was a trick; a ploy to manipulate the Pack. Stiles and Malia would be too invested in proving he was planning something, that he meant no good. There would be no way to avoid them finding out. There’d be no way to avoid the Pack finding out.</p><p>“Let’s get back-” Liam cut off and he only had a second to wonder why before the reason became clear. There were two familiar scents nearby and they were getting closer. Too close. There wasn’t time to run.</p><p>“Liam? Theo?” Scott knew they were there. Of course Scott knew. Their scents and heartbeats gave them away. It would be suspicious if they suddenly left. He swallowed as Scott and Malia stepped through the surrounding trees. It’s like the thought of being seen by them had been enough to make them appear.</p><p>Malia had to be the worst person to find him here. Along with Stiles, of course. It hadn’t even occurred to him. With everything that had happened since the first time, the first curse, he should have. He should have been more careful. Taken greater precautions. Stiles had been at the forefront of his mind though. As he’d known, after his panic attack at Stiles’ house, the boy hadn’t given up. Stiles kept digging, kept pushing until he worked out how Liam managed to bring him to the party. Stiles had been hysterical when he realised. He glared but the laughter hadn’t stopped. If anything, it increased. Stiles was no doubt picturing Liam dragging him into the truck, then the house. It served as fuel for the next five weeks before Stiles <em>finally</em> grew tired of it. Atheist or not, he had silently thanked whatever force had put an end to the insufferable heckling. Any longer and he thought he might have punched Stiles. Which, of course, wouldn’t have gone done well.</p><p>“What are doing here?” Liam was the one to broach a conversation.<br/>“It’s our turn to patrol the town, remember?” <br/>Scheduled patrols had been in place since Morgana’s attack, as a way to try to stay ahead of any danger or threats on the town. He listened to Liam and Scott talking, whilst deliberately and resolutely ignoring Malia’s gaze. A gaze which was growing more intrusive by the minute.</p><p>“Why are you two here, and why does Theo look like Joey?” Malia was clearly through waiting. She never had been patient. He did have one question. <em>Who’s Joey?</em> Judging by the look on Liam’s face (an deep frown), Liam didn’t know either. A fact Malia soon realised, given the sharp clarification. If looks could kill... “From ‘Friends’.</p><p>If this were any other time, he’d have taken the opening and voiced how strange it was to picture Malia watching TV. Then, there’s the fact she watches <em>‘Friends’</em> of all shows. It’s not what he would have imagined Malia would enjoy. If this were any other time, he would have gladly voiced his thoughts. He’d have gone as far as to smirk at her narrowed glare and snarl. Now however, he ignored it. He was arrogant, not stupid. Despite what Liam thinks, he doesn’t have a death wish. (Okay. Fine. He may be a <em>little</em> reckless when he’s angry. Sue him. That doesn’t mean he has a death wish.)</p><p>A spike of dread rose, his stomach in knots. A voice was screaming at him to run. His self preservation skills were itching to be put to use. Everything in him told him to leave, to run. This couldn’t lead to anything good, but he remained frozen. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to escape. All it would take was for Malia to grab him. She wouldn’t hesitate to rip his hats off or to tear a jacket. He was vaguely aware of Liam making up an excuse. Judging by Scott’s expression it was convincing. Malia, on the other hand, wasn’t willing to let him off the hook. Where he had been standing a second ago, he now found himself flat on the forest floor. Malia was holding him down, knees pinning him in place. He could hear Scott and Liam trying to pull her off but they stopped suddenly. His eyes flicked down to her claws. The same claws now held at his throat.</p><p>“Malia! Don’t you dare hurt him!”<br/>Liam sounded infuriated but there was something else. Something deeper. Desperation. Liam was desperate. He’d heard that tone before. Every time Liam was on the verge of an episode. Furious over something and desperate to regain control. To reign in that anger before it snapped. He hadn’t expected to hear it due to a threat on his safety. On his life.</p><p>“I’m not going to touch him.” Malia’s growl told him everything he needed to know. If he had been scared before, he was terrified now. He, like Scott and Liam, had thought she wanted to kill him. That, on its own, was frightening. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to be sent back to that morgue. To his sister’s mercy. Now, it was worse. Much worse. What she had planned, wasn’t to take his life. It was to take his secrets. To take away his means of hiding. He watched her claws lodge deep in the jacket he’d taken from Liam, effortlessly tearing the fabric in two. A wave of nausea hit him, making it harder to breathe. The panic was setting in. His vision blurring, his heart racing.</p><p>All that would be left was a fitted top,which in his current state, left nothing to the imagination. He had adamantly <em>refused</em> Liam’s infernal suggestion he buy a bra. Liam had gone as far as to offer to buy it for him. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than having Liam shopping for a bra for him. Nor would he <em>ever</em> put one on.</p><p>The tearing of fabric rung loud and clear, all other sounds rendered mute. What had probably been seconds, felt like an eternity. Then there were hands on him, pulling at Malia. Screaming at her to stop. Belatedly, he realised they had somehow pried Malia off of him. Leaving the top two layers shredded, the final jumper partially ripped. Thankfully, all three still covered his chest. She hadn’t had a chance to finish, to look. Torn as they were, the material still fell together unless separated.</p><p>Standing up, arms wrapped firmly around his stomach, he saw Malia glaring at him from her place behind Scott. Liam was watching her every movement, with a softer gaze drifting to where he stood every few seconds. Somehow, Liam made it possible to watch them both simultaneously, and he had to admit, he was impressed.<br/>“Theo? Theo, are you okay?”<br/>“Why wouldn’t I be?” There wasn’t a trace off his earlier panic as he spoke. It wasn’t gone, not completely, but it was now firmly under control.  Locked away from prying eyes. “As much as I enjoy your attention Malia, we have better places to be.”</p><p>He had to stop yet again when Malia grabbed his arm. “I want an answer. You’re not leaving until you tell me why you’re out here.”<br/>It took a great deal of effort on his part to stay calm. He was so close to snapping at Malia, but it would be a blatant invitation for her to attack him. He couldn’t risk being exposed. A slow breath later, he spoke. “Liam gave you you’re answer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do than stand around being interrogated by the likes of you.” At the ensuing growl, he narrowed his eyes and tightened his control over his heartbeat and chemosignals, refusing to let anything slip.<br/><br/>Scott convinced Malia to let go; begrudgingly at that. The second her hand dropped, he walked away. Nothing Scott or Malia said interested him. Not now, at least. He didn’t want to spend another second listening to the reasons he was a liar and plotting against the Pack.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Malia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another short chapter. Another POV.<br/>Let me know what y’all think. 🤞😄</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“That was weird.”<br/>“Theo’s hiding something.” She knew it. Scott and Liam may not see it, but Theo wasn’t Pack. He would betray them as soon as he got the chance.<br/>“Like what?”<br/>“I don’t know, but he was lying. Everything Liam said was a lie. There’s no reason for someone to wear that many clothes. Why was Liam with him, anyway?”<br/>“I don’t know. Theo and Liam have been spending more time together lately. What Liam said makes sense, Malia. You heard Liam as well as I did. He wasn’t lying.”</p>
<p>“Believing something is real, doesn’t make it real.” She knew Theo. She knew exactly what he’d do, if given the chance. She didn’t believe for one second that he’d changed. It was all a lie. There was no way Theo just wanted to help all of a sudden. Not after trying to tear them apart. The only thing Theo knew how to do was destroy everything he touched. Well, she wasn’t going to let him. “Whatever he’s doing has to involve Liam. We need to find out what it is, before Theo hurts Liam.”<br/>“Malia, I really don’t think-”<br/>“Theo’s a liar, Scott. It’s who he is. It’s all he’ll ever be. If we don’t stop him, Theo will attack us. All of us. It’s only a matter of time.”</p>
<p>Liam never should have brought Theo back. Theo should be rotting in hell. She’d love to send him back. At least then, they’d be free of him. Liam never should have broken Kira’s sword. It doesn’t matter. She’d find a way to break him. She’d destroy Theo.</p>
<p>Once and for all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was such a relief to step back through Liam’s door. Being in the house again was a weight off his shoulders. He knew Liam, Jenna and David would never mock him; all they had ever done was try to help. Sure, he and Liam fought at times but never cruel. Not anymore.<br/> Thankfully, Jenna and David weren’t home. If Jenna had seen him like this, clothes ripped, she wouldn’t have let him past the entrance without a detailed explanation as to what caused it. As he fell  onto Liam’s bed, he noticed it was becoming a habit. It was just so comfortable, so soft. He understood why people didn’t want to get up in the morning. He would stay here forever if he could. Of course, that was unrealistic and pointless. Why think about the impossible? His truck seats really weren’t that bad anyway.</p>
<p>Liam let him rest for all of ten minutes before drawing any sense of solace he’d found. Small as it were, he’d felt the remnants of his earlier worry and fear beginning to dissipate.<br/>“When do you want to call Stiles?”<br/>“Never.”<br/>“Theo.” He didn’t appreciate Liam’s exasperated sigh.<br/>“You couldn’t give me a moment, could you? You just <em>had</em> to start this again.”<br/>“Would you prefer I wait until you felt better? At least this way, I’m not bringing you down.”<br/>“No. You’re just suggesting I tell the entire Pack.” Liam was about to protest, but he wasn’t interested. “Don’t deny it. You and I both know that as soon as Stiles knows, the entire Pack will. Stiles doesn’t know how to keep a secret if his life depended on it. Not when he doesn’t like someone and he decides he can use it against them.”</p>
<p>Liam sighed. It wasn’t as frustrated as before. Instead, it just sounded tired. “Then you need to figure out a way to get Mason back on side.”<br/>“Don’t you think I know that?! How am I supposed to convince him?”<br/>“Call him and apologise.”<br/>Liam made it sound so easy. As if there was no chance that Mason would say no. He waited until Liam left the room, footsteps reaching the bottom of the stairs before he picked up his phone. With a deep breath and shaky hands, he dialled Mason’s number. It rung out. Mason’s answering machine urged him to leave a message. He tried again and received the same result. He called a third time with no luck. His grip tightened, threatening to break the phone. Closing his eyes, he took a deep, slow breath. A broken phone wouldn’t help either of them, and he still owed Liam a new one. He could barely afford one, let alone replacing two. As it was, he’d have to scrounge the money. It would cost him several meals over the foreseeable future, but he’d manage.</p>
<p>“Answer your phone, Mason.” He was growing increasingly irritable. He knew for a fact Mason never went anywhere without his phone. It was a well-known obsession. It had only grown when Mason became aware of the supernatural. Mason insisted everyone had to be contactable in case something were to go wrong. It could be a matter of life and death. Which he had to admit was true. However, knowing that only fed his anger. Mason was deliberately ignoring his calls. Had he been a little too harsh? Maybe, but that didn’t mean he should be left like this. He was desperate and Mason didn’t seem to care. Mason was letting a petty grudge get in the way of reason. Though he probably would have done the same had the roles been reversed.<br/>He tried again, dialling the same phone number for what must be the tenth time now. He screamed when he heard the same answering machine urge him to leave yet another message.</p>
<p>“No luck?” Liam stood cautiously across the room.<br/>“He won’t even pick up, Liam.” He was beyond desperate now. Every second Mason refused to help, was another second closer to what was quickly seeming inevitable. It was becoming apparent he might soon have to contact Stiles, which he’d like to make clear, was the <em>last</em> thing he wanted to do. Liam walked towards him wordlessly, taking the phone from his hand. He watched as Liam sent a text, letting out a huff at the response. Another text and the phone rung. Liam answered but couldn’t get a word out before Mason’s voice was cutting through.</p>
<p><em>“Liam, this better not be about Theo.”</em><br/>“He needs your help, Mase.”<br/><em>“It didn’t seem like it. If Theo can’t be grateful for the time I put in, then why should I bother?”</em><br/>“This isn’t easy for Theo.”<br/><em>“Which is why I spent hours looking for an answer. I didn’t do all that to be yelled at and accused of wasting Theo’s precious time.”</em><br/>“Mase, please. Just listen to him. Hear him out.”<br/>There was silence on the other end of the line. A drawn out pause which had his heart in his stomach. He was sure Mason was about to hang up, when he heard the quiet sigh.<em> “Put him on.”</em></p>
<p>Liam passed him the phone, waiting patiently for him to take it. Shakily, he reached out to take it, where it sat unused in his hand. He looked at it for a moment, unsure as to what he should say, when he heard the impatient, <em>“Theo?” </em>Hesitantly raising the phone to his ear, he swallowed nervously.<br/>”Mason.”</p>
<p><em>“This better be good.”</em><br/>“I’m sorry.”<br/><em>“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”</em><br/>He could practically see the raised eyebrow. “What do you want me to say?”<br/><em>“Nothing. Nothing you say will change the way you spoke to me. I won’t be treated like that. Stop calling me.”</em><br/>“Mason, please.”<br/><em>“Why should I get you out of a mess you put yourself in? If you want to be changed back so much, ask Stiles.”</em><br/>He swallowed against the nausea Stiles’ name elicited. He could already hear the jokes. He could see the shadow of a smile. “You know I can’t do that.”<br/><em>“I don’t care what you do. It doesn’t involve me.”</em><br/>“Mason, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said what I did, but you can’t leave me here. You can’t leave me like this. You <em>can’t</em> subject me to Stiles’ jokes. <em>Please.</em>” He was begging. He’d never imagined himself sinking this low. The idea of talking to Stiles had broken through his usual restraints. He’d do anything to avoid that becoming a reality.</p>
<p>Silence. This time longer than when Liam had been the one talking. For a second, he thought Mason had already hung up. Had he missed the phone disconnecting?<br/><em>“I’ll give you one more chance.” </em>Mason’s voice was an immense relief. <em>“On one condition.”</em><br/>On second thought, maybe not. “What?”<br/><em>“I get to tell Corey.”</em><br/>Why?<br/>Why was this his life? “Mason.” He couldn’t stop the whine from escaping. Everything seemed to revert back to telling people. Couldn’t <em>anything</em> be private?<br/><em>“I’m not keeping secrets from him. Not anymore. If you want my help, that’s the deal.”</em></p>
<p>It took a while to calm himself down. He hated being forced into situations. Forced to make decisions he didn’t like. His claws pressed deep into the soft flesh of his palm, blood dripping from the wounds. “Fine.” It was strained, pushed through clenched teeth.<br/><em>“I’ll borrow Stiles’ books. Hopefully they’ll have something we can use and no, Theo. I won’t tell him. I’ll just say it’s general research.”</em><br/>He hoped it worked. A suspicious Stiles would be disastrous. It shouldn’t be too hard to sell; at least not for Mason. Stiles looked into everything; randomly picking topics that had no correlation to what they’d seen or heard. Stiles claimed it was better to be prepared, than caught off guard with no knowledge of what they were dealing with. If anyone was as studious and cautious as Stiles about the Supernatural, it was Mason. It shouldn’t be too hard to believe.</p>
<p>The line cut out with a click.<br/>Out of energy to fight, he merely dropped and laid sprawled out on the floor. He couldn’t even pull himself to the bed. Eyes closed, he sensed Liam sitting down beside him. Waiting for the words of encouragement to come, he focused on breathing. It had become harder to control his shift as of late; what with being cursed twice and being the brunt of Stiles’ taunts. When Liam didn’t say anything, he opened his eyes to see no sign of unwanted positivity.</p>
<p>“Are you just going to sit there?” He wasn’t sure how to react to Liam’s close proximity with the continued silence.<br/>“You don’t need to hear it’s going to be okay. You already know I’ll do whatever I can. If there’s something you want me to say, I will, but I’m happy to stay here until you’re ready.”<br/>Something seemed to be growing between them. A friendship almost. He didn’t dare hope, though. Not when there was still a chance he was wrong. He wouldn’t risk whatever he and Liam had. Especially if it put Liam’s continued support in jeopardy. If he knew one thing for sure, it was that he’d be lost without Liam. He needed the beta more than anything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure about this?”<br/>He was standing in the middle of the Preserve, late at night; Mason, Liam and Corey waiting to the side. It had been a week since he’d convinced Mason to continue looking, and finally there was a sign that he might be able to get back to his own body. There was a ritual which had to be performed under the full moon. It had seemed better to be as far from town when they started, in order to avoid any interruptions. It was for the same reason that they waited an extra two days to come out to the Preserve. Tonight was Mason and Corey’s turn to patrol, so they didn’t have to worry about another encounter with one of the Pack. Much to his unease, the ritual also required he be ‘uncovered and in form’. In other words, no hoodies or extra clothing to hide what he looked like. Which is why there were now four people who had seen him in this state. To their credit, Mason and Corey hadn’t said anything. Even if they did grin at one another.</p><p>“For the seventh time, Theo, it’s the only lead we have. We won’t know until we try.”<br/>He didn’t like it. It felt too much like an experiment; the feeling of being a lab rat returning in full force. He had never liked the unknown. It was unpredictable and problematic. Mason prepared the herbs and recanted a spell in Latin, whilst Liam set the herbs on fire. Eyes closed, he waited. Nothing came. No physical sensation of change. No sounds or cheers from Liam, Mason or Corey. Even the birds appeared to have gone quiet. It was dead silent. His nerves set in. As much as he wished it wasn’t true, he already knew it hadn’t worked. This wasn’t the reaction he’d have received if it had. Certainly not from Liam. Mason and Corey may have been indifferent, but Liam would have been happy.</p><p>As he opened his eyes, he was met with three sympathetic stares. If that weren’t enough to know the ritual had failed, one look down revealed the undeniable truth. There was no denying the female body he was trapped in. A snarl rose, and judging by Mason’s retreating form, he was mid-shift. An angry chimera was still an intimidating sight. He may have left his manipulative traits behind, at least as much as possible, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t make you regret pushing him. Not when he was past acceptance, past patience... and he for one, had reached his limit.</p><p>Corey stood protectively in front of Mason, as Liam stepped between him and them. He had effectively blocked his path, preventing him from lashing out. That was, of course, assuming he wouldn’t take his anger out on Liam. It was a bold assumption and yet, one which turned out to be right. Letting the gold in his irises seep away, his claws retracting, he crossed his arms defensively.<br/>“You lied.”<br/>“I didn’t lie, Theo.” Mason spoke softly, carefully. “I warned you it might not work. There was never a guarantee.” Then, as if the thought had just occurred, “I’m sorry.”<br/>Corey promised they’d keep looking, then made his way through the trees with Mason following. Probably to start patrolling.</p><p>Liam led him back to the house that was beginning to feel like home. He couldn’t give into it. He had to constantly remind himself it was temporary. He had to remind himself not to get attached, to become comfortable. It would only make the inevitable return to his truck that much harder. As it was, he knew he’d struggle when it came time to leave. Just like the first time he’d stayed with Liam. He hadn’t had a home or a family since he was 9. Even then, one couldn’t call it functional. Now however, he found it easy to feel like he belonged. Like he was wanted. It was likely the most dangerous feeling he could have. Letting his guard down would only result in him getting hurt. He had to keep the mask up, to keep people out. He had to prevent anyone seeing behind his walls. If he didn’t, it would all come crashing down.</p><p>His first task once inside Liam’s room, was to once again cover himself with Liam’s hoodies. He didn’t feel comfortable in his own skin, and he didn’t want anyone to see him. Not if he could avoid it.<br/>“We’ll find a way, Theo. There has to be something.” Liam’s positivity was getting on his nerves. It had been nice at first, but now he just wanted to be left alone.<br/>“It’s impossible, Liam. It always is.”<br/>“You said the same about the last curse and look where you are now.”<br/>“You mean <em>cursed? </em>It’s not exactly the better option.”<br/>“My point is, we fixed that and we can fix this. Nothing’s impossible. Everything has a solution. We’ll break the curse, we’ll find a way to remove the brand and-”</p><p>“The brand’s gone.”<br/>“What?” Liam just stared at him in shock. “When did that happen?”<br/>“A side effect of being a female I suppose. Turns out, a different body means no traces of my own. Including a burn.”<br/>“When did you realise?”<br/>“It’s kind of hard to miss when you’re in the shower.” This was beginning to feel awkward. Not just the brand itself, but the whole idea of him showering. Why were they even talking about this? For all he knew, it might come back. It would be just his luck.<br/>“Why didn’t you tell me?” To his surprise, Liam seemed to genuinely care. It wasn’t a feeling he was use to. Not directed at him.<br/>“It didn’t come up. In case you forgot, there’s been a lot to deal with. I didn’t see a chance or the need to mention it.”</p><p>“You’re hopeless. You should have said something. It will be much easier with someone to help you. I’d like to be that person, if you’ll let me.”<br/>Would it really be that bad to let Liam in? It could be nice. Having someone on his side for once. Maybe talking about some of it would ease the mounting stress. What harm could it do? It wasn’t going anywhere. Nothing had changed. Maybe he would. Let Liam in. If he could just find the courage...</p><p>“Do you want to watch a movie?” He appreciated the fact Liam didn’t pressure him to open up straight away. It was enough to know he could, if and when he wanted to.<br/>“No, Liam. I don’t want to sit around wasting time.” This was ridiculous. How did Liam expect him to sit around after they’d failed to fix him?<br/>“There’s nothing we can do right now, Theo. You might find a break is what you need.” Liam was always so optimistic. He didn’t understand how someone could possess such positivity. Life had always been one problem after another for him. Every day a fight for survival.</p><p>“Fine, but movies are out. We’ve watched enough.”<br/>“Is there ever a limit on how many someone can watch? The classics never die.”<br/>At that, he realised he was laughing. The ease with which Liam said it, the utter seriousness. He couldn’t stop, and he noticed Liam smiling in return. He was almost certain that had been the plan from the start.<br/>The rest of the night was spent between an alternation of video games, ‘the classics’ as Liam called them and ‘a guide to cooking’ (also named by Liam). The cooking didn’t turn out so well. Liam nearly burnt the house down in an attempt to teach him how to make pancakes. The best part though, was Liam’s face when Liam realised he already knew how to cook them. Not to mention the frittata that followed. It was fair to say the beta hadn’t expected him to have such skills. Understandable, given his upbringing.</p><p>“When did you-”<br/>“Someone had to cook when I was growing up. It certainly wasn’t going to be the Dread Doctors. They didn’t care what I ate. I guess I just picked it up as I went.”<br/>“What did you have to eat if you hadn’t learnt to cook?” There was a note of concern in Liam’s voice. One which was becoming more apparent in recent weeks. The more time they spent together, the more Liam seemed to worry about him.<br/>“I got by.”<br/>“Theo.” Liam clearly wasn’t going to accept that. No, Liam wanted specifics.<br/>“There were bits and pieces left over from their own meals. I scavenged for what I could around the labs. When I was old enough, I was allowed above ground. If I was lucky, I might be able to find some apples or take something small from a store unnoticed. In a way, I think the Dread Doctors saw it as a test. If I was to survive, then I needed to provide for myself. I had to find a way to get what I needed. If I’d been caught, I’d have been classified a failure.”</p><p>Liam had gone silent, all but staring at him. He could see his words processing through Liam’s mind. He saw the moment Liam fully understood what that meant, what he’d gone through. It might have only been one short glance into what life had really been like in those tunnels, but it was enough. Enough for Liam to understand how unpleasant it was. How little attention or care he’d received. The consequences of something as small as a simple mistake.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how he felt about Liam’s insight, about someone knowing how hard his childhood had been. It was confronting and unsettling to be read so easily, to be seen for who he really was, if only a small part, after years of hiding and manipulation. “It was a long time ago. I’m fine.”<br/>Liam always seemed to know when to let something go unsaid, when to leave something untouched. This was one of those times. He didn’t want to think about those tunnels. He didn’t want to think about the dark, the constant threat of disappointment, the endless procedures. He didn’t want to be reminded of the hunger or loneliness. He didn’t want to remember what it was like to be stripped of and deprived of basic human needs. It was for that reason, he appreciated Liam asking him to teach him how to cook pancakes without burning them. Maybe he could find a home here in Beacon Hills, after all. His truck might not be the most comfortable place to live, but at least he had Liam. Liam, who he was starting to think of as a close friend.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope y’all are enjoying the story so far. 😄</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is for Moera. I absolutely loved the idea and I couldn’t resist writing it. It’s not quite Theo and Malia but, well... you’ll just have to see for yourself. 😂😄</p><p>I hope you enjoy it. 🤞😁</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This wasn’t real. It was another nightmare. That’s it. He wasn’t here. He was at Liam’s. In bed. Asleep. He wasn’t here. He wasn’t at the mall. He was safe under the covers in the guest room. He wasn’t here. This wasn’t happening. He <em>wasn’t </em>shopping for bras.<br/>If only that were true.</p><p>Every time he thought he’d reached rock bottom, the universe showed him how wrong he was. He’d never been this embarrassed in his life. Why had he ever listened to Liam? This is stupid. He didn’t need to be here. He didn’t <em>need </em>a bra. He shouldn’t be here. He never should have said anything. One mention of his sore chest, and Liam was adamant they had to come. He’d tried to dispute it. He had, but Liam wouldn’t listen. At one point, he’d nearly been dragged downstairs. No amount of reasoning would make Liam stop. He never should have told Liam. He still doesn’t know why he did. Apparently, wearing a bra would help. He had to disagree. Nothing about wearing a bra could be helpful.</p><p>Trying one on had only proved that. It was nothing short of a torture device. Here he was, standing in the middle of a change room, wearing a constricting piece of material, and what does he get? Nothing. Do you think he received any sympathy? No. No, <em>apparently</em>, Liam thought laughing was a better idea. The heat he felt creeping into his cheeks only made it worse. The sooner they left this place, the better.</p><p>By the time he’d paid, he was ready to run and never look back. They were just about to leave. when his heart sunk. <em>Every time. Every time</em> he thought it was over, something else happened. Standing in front of them was none other than Lydia and Malia.<br/>“Theo? Liam? I didn’t expect to see you here.” The confusion in Lydia’s voice was obvious, but she meant well. She didn’t know he felt sick just standing here. She didn’t know he’d rather be anywhere else.<br/>Malia, on the other hand, wasn’t so considerate. “What are you doing here?” Good to know she was as rude and demanding as ever. At least Lydia tried to be tactful. Especially given the fact Malia looked ready to tear his head off.<br/>“You do realise this store only sells bras, right?”</p><p>Thankfully, Liam was here. He had no idea what to say, and he didn’t know if he could speak, even if he’d wanted to. “I know, Lydia, but Mum needs a new one. She’s busy at work and asked me to pick it up for her.”<br/>It wasn’t a lie. Jenna had asked Liam a couple of days ago. There was an extra bra in the bag for her.<br/>“Why’s Theo here?” He really wished Malia would stop looking at him like that. Like she was looking at a puzzle. Like Stiles would, had he been here. He swallowed his nerves. He couldn’t afford to let the real reason they’d come today slip.<br/>Liam didn’t hesitate to answer the question. The explanation flowed freely, as if it were natural. “To give me someone to talk you. Mason didn’t want to come.”</p><p>Still not a lie. Neither of them had asked Mason of course, but they didn’t need to. There was no way Mason would come here and besides, no one was supposed to know about this. It was clear from the narrowed glare Malia directed at him, that she didn’t believe them.<br/>“Oh, and Theo lost a bet.” Also, not a lie.  He didn’t miss the smug satisfaction in that admission. Also, not a lie. As much as he wished it were. He had, in fact, lost a bet; it just had nothing to do with why they were at the mall.</p><p>He fought the urge to shift under Malia’s gaze. It would only feed her suspicions. She still didn’t believe Liam. She didn’t want to. Thankfully, Lydia seemed to disagree. Lydia let them leave and waved goodbye, as Malia continued to stare. He practically sprinted for the exit. He needed to be as far away from that shop, from the mall as possible. Within seconds of climbing in the truck, he’d switched the ignition on and sped out of the car park.<br/>Liam tried to start a conversation, but he ignored every question. Every comment. He wanted to forget this day ever happened. To pretend like he’d never agreed to come here in the first place. Denial could be comforting. It provided a soft cocoon to hide in. The problem is, it also leads to a hard fall. The truth can only be denied for so long, before it demands to be known.</p><p>This is why he doesn’t leave the house.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Liam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The night before had been long and tiring. Theo had woken in a sweat, having spent most of the night screaming. It had happened a few times since  Theo begun staying with him again. Since Theo had been cursed. Seeing as they didn’t know how long Theo would be staying, his mum and dad had made up the spare room. It meant Theo had his own bed, his own space. It also meant they were across the hall from one another when he’d first heard Theo’s scream. At first, he was startled and alert. The shock wore off when he realised it was another nightmare. He’d tried to help, to wake Theo, to free him from whatever terror he was facing behind closed eyes. It never worked though. Every time it ended the same way. Theo would cry out, then cower. He had been forced to watch Theo, frightened and disoriented, shrink back in an attempt to sink into the bed. The desperate fight to escape. The heartbreaking pleas to stop, to let him go.</p>
<p>When he finally managed to get through to Theo, a flicker of distress would cross his eyes. A look of unease, of embarrassment at having been seen in such a vulnerable state. At that point, without fail, Theo would shut down. Every attempt to break the nightmare and reassure Theo, just made it that much worse. In the end, he’d resorted to simply sitting beside Theo. A hand over Theo’s. It wasn’t much, but it was the best he could do under current circumstances. It was slow, but it paid off in the end. Eventually, the tension seeped away. Theo would take a long shuddering breath before easing into sleep once more.</p>
<p>Last night had been the worst one yet. Theo suffered five nightmares in a few short hours. Theo was so distraught, he hadn’t bothered to return to his room. After the second nightmare, he’d waited to make sure it was the last. It was lucky he had because the third one had nearly torn his heart out. Hearing the bloodcurdling scream Theo let out left him in tears. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Theo was suffering through. If only he could make it stop.</p>
<p>It had left them both exhausted. Theo was still sleeping, wrapped securely in the blankets. It seemed to provide a sense of comfort, and with every nightmare, Theo had wound the fabric even tighter around himself. It also provided a layer between his body and anyone who might come in. Wearing six layers was stifling at the best of times, but it was unbearable at night. The blankets made it rub and stick to Theo’s skin uncomfortably. Not to mention it was impossible to sleep. This way Theo could rest without the worry of someone walking in and seeing him.</p>
<p>If he’d had his way, he’d still be enjoying his own bed. Unfortunately, someone had decided now was the best time to knock, and despite his attempts to ignore them, they didn’t appear to be going anywhere. It didn’t take long to figure out who was at the door. He reluctantly made his way downstairs, relieved to see Theo hadn’t been disturbed. The knocking had turned incessant. He knew exactly which one was the cause, even without the whispered words from beside her. Grabbing the handle, he narrowly avoided being hit in the face as the door opened and his assailant was <em>still</em> knocking.<br/>“Malia. Scott. What are you doing here?”<br/>Scott looked at him with a mix of comfort (that he’d answered?), concern and tension. “Liam. You’re okay.”</p>
<p>If he wasn’t already, he was definitely confused now. “Why wouldn’t I be? What is this about?”<br/>Scott barely had time to open his mouth before Malia was talking. “We’re here for Theo.”<br/>“Theo? Why?”<br/>“Don’t play dumb. We know you’re hiding him. We know he’s hiding something. Now, where is he?” Malia didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she pushed past him and started searching the house. He and Scott followed; Scott apologetic, whilst he was quickly losing patience. It was early, he was tired and this was his house. He wasn’t in the mood to have someone tearing the place apart. Especially when Malia had made her intentions clear.</p>
<p>“Theo’s sleeping.”<br/>“I don’t care.”<br/>Malia took a step towards the stairs until he blocked her. “You need to leave. Now.”<br/>“I’m not leaving without Theo.”<br/>“I won’t say it again.” He growled. Pack or not, Malia had no right to barge into his house and demand anything. His own eyes glowed gold at the sight of Malia’s. Scott was trying to defuse the situation before it turned violent, but it was practically a lost battle. The only way this ended peacefully was if Malia backed down. Scott insisted they were only here to talk, though Malia didn’t seem to agree. “I told you Theo’s sleeping.”<br/>“So, wake him up.” Malia snapped.<br/>“Theo will get up when he’s ready. He’s not interested in visitors right now either, so like I said before, you need to leave.” He bit back.</p>
<p>“Liam?”<br/>His heart dropped at the sound of a voice laced with fatigue from the staircase.<br/>“Theo, stay there.”<br/>“What? Why?” He could hear Theo’s confusion, as he struggled to wake up. The continued footsteps made his heart race with a sense of dread. He knew Theo would regret it if he went much further. He was about to call out again, another warning on the tip of his tongue, when he heard Theo stop. The telltale pressure he’d felt over the past weeks, told him Theo was fighting to regulate his heartbeat. Theo knew who was here.</p>
<p>“Get down here, Raeken.” Malia was really starting to get on his nerves. He wanted to tell Theo to go back upstairs, except their bedrooms were down the hallway with Theo’s visible from where they stood. Thankfully, neither Scott or Malia had been looking when Theo walked out. Theo was cornered midway down the staircase with nowhere to go.<br/>“I want you out. Now.” He’d had enough.<br/>“Send the lying chimera down and I’ll gladly go.”<br/>“Get. Out. Of. My. House.” His voice was practically a snarl by this point.<br/>“No.”<br/>“Get out!”</p>
<p>Suddenly Scott grabbed Malia, pulling her back. “We’re going.” Malia fought back, protesting and refusing to leave but Scott wouldn’t budge. He’d been shocked to see red bleeding through Scott’s irises. Malia appeared to be caught off guard as well, given the abrupt change in stance. Unwillingly mollified, she walked out as quickly as she’d arrived. Scott apologised for the intrusion, before he left as well. Don’t get him wrong. He was glad they’d gone since it meant Theo was safe, he just didn’t understand what had caused the sudden change.</p>
<p>The sound of running footsteps and a door closing forcefully, drew him back to what mattered. Sure enough, Theo had run to his bedroom, no doubt locking the door behind him. It would take time to get Theo to open up. He should wait; allow some time for Theo to cool off. To come to terms with the close call. Approaching now would get them nowhere. He did however, listen in to make sure Theo wasn’t too distressed or upset, before heading to the kitchen. Maybe there was something he could use to make lunch without setting anything on fire. Hopefully, something to eat would be a good distraction.</p>
<p>An hour. That’s how long he spent waiting. Liam finally heard a lock click, accompanied by tentative steps. Slow and cautious. After a moment, he looked up to find Theo standing awkwardly in the doorway. Ignoring the mess he’d made, (he really shouldn’t be allowed to handle food), he took a step closer to Theo, who he noted was once again dressed in his hoodies.<br/>“They’re gone. It’s okay.”<br/>“He saw.” It was mumbled, almost inaudible.<br/>“Who?”<br/>“Scott.” Theo wouldn’t meet his eyes. Whatever this was about, it was bothering Theo. A lot.<br/>“What did he see?”<br/>“<em>Me</em>. He saw <em>me</em>, Liam.”<br/>Oh no. “Theo...”</p>
<p>“He’s probably already told Stiles. Malia. Maybe even the whole Pack.” He noticed for the first time the way Theo bit his lip, ever so slightly. There was the faintest pull of skin between teeth; so faint, in fact, he hadn’t seen it until now. Theo likely didn’t realise either. In any other situation, he would have found it adorable. He just wished it weren’t borne of fear or potential embarrassment.<br/>“I’m sure he wouldn’t do that.”<br/>“He came all this way to find out what I’m hiding, Liam. Is it really that hard to believe Scott might tell everyone?”<br/>“Scott wouldn’t hurt you-”<br/>“He sent me to hell!” Theo swallowed, seemingly regretting the outburst immediately.</p>
<p>“You’re right. We did, and I can’t begin to apologise for that. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to apologise enough. I can promise however, that Scott would never intentionally hurt you. Not again.”<br/>“He might not see it that way. Scott might think he’s protecting the Pack. What if he thinks they have a right to know? There is another witch in town, after all.”<br/>Theo had a way of overthinking and questioning everything. Theo would drive himself crazy if he wasn’t there to put a stop to it. “This witch hasn’t shown any sign of attacking Beacon Hills. It has nothing to do with anyone, other than you and those you choose to tell.”</p>
<p>He watched Theo nod, despite clearly not agreeing yet. Another knock sounded, prompting an exasperated sigh. Theo withdrew to the back of the kitchen, as he let Scott in.<br/>“Haven’t you said enough?”<br/>“Liam, I meant it when I said I just want to talk. Especially now.”<br/>“Why?”<br/>“I’m sure Theo told you I saw him on the stairs.”<br/>Liam felt his eyes narrow. “If you’re here to have a go at Theo-”<br/>“No, not at all. I understand the secrecy. Actually, I wanted to say I won’t tell anyone.” Scott was sincere. He was right. Scott wouldn’t betray them like that.<br/>He heard Theo creep closer, edging towards where they stood whilst remaining hidden behind the kitchen wall. He knew Scott had heard as well. They both listened to the nervous question which followed. “Even Stiles? Malia?”</p>
<p>At that, Scott sighed. “Stiles might be my best friend, but I know how he can be. Unfortunately, I know he wouldn’t react well. As for Malia... well, we all know that wouldn’t be good.”<br/>“You mean they’d laugh and make my life miserable.” Theo retorted drily. Scott simply sighed again. There wasn’t much you could do when admitting your best friend and girlfriend would be an ass.<br/>“Theo, I’ll... we’ll fix this. I promise.”<br/>He could practically feel Theo shift under the attention. Theo whispered a short ‘okay’ and it was enough to satisfy Scott. Once Scott left, he sat down on the couch to breathe. This was becoming harder to contain by the day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I couldn’t decide whose POV to tell the last chapter from, so I decided to write both. This is the same scene from Chapter 9 told from Theo’s POV.</p><p>I hope y’all enjoy. 😁😉</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Last night was one of the worst he’s had in a while. He’d been staying in the spare room Jenna and David had set up for him. It was nice to have somewhere to retreat to. Somewhere he could be alone. In the time he’d spent at Liam’s over the past few weeks, he’d been tormented by several nightmares. He’d lost count of how many times he’d woken screaming. Which also woke Liam. Apart from supernatural hearing, they slept across the hall from one another. If being seen in his current body wasn’t bad enough, now Liam has seen him covered in sweat and afraid. After the first few times, Liam stopped trying to wake him up. It was hard to know how he felt. He was glad he no longer saw the worried look directed at him. At the same time, there was a sense of hurt he couldn’t shake. He might not like being seen like that, but to be left with his nightmares instead...</p><p>It wasn’t true. He knew that much. His nightmares may have gone uninterrupted but he wasn’t alone. Each morning, Liam’s scent filled the room. It was most noticeable beside the bed, beside him. That explained the sense of security he’d felt some mornings. The night before however, wasn’t one of them. It was the worst he’d experienced in a long time. One nightmare was hard enough, but several (he remembered at least three)... There weren’t words to describe the fear. The pain. The suffocating weight. By the time it ended, he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes. He’d tried at one point but he was exhausted. In the end, he gave up and let himself sleep.</p><p>What time was it? He’d woken to someone arguing, to growing anger. Not just someone. Liam. Pulling the covers off (he missed the warmth already), he dragged himself out of bed. If Liam was fighting, then something was wrong. What, he didn’t know. Unfortunately, his lack of restful nights were catching up to him. It was difficult to concentrate and think straight; he was still half-asleep. The voices were getting louder, tinging on vicious.<br/>“Liam?” Why did Liam’s heartbeat change? Was it... panic?<br/>“Theo, stay there.”<br/>“What? Why?” He still didn’t understand what the problem was. If he could just focus...<br/>He stopped suddenly mid-step. No. No, no, no, no. Not them. Why did it have to be them? Everything became clear in that second. Liam was arguing with Scott and Malia. Scott and Malia were in the house and he... he was halfway down the stairs wearing... <em>shit</em>. He hadn’t even thought to put on a hoodie or hat. There was nothing to hide him. Nothing to protect any shred of dignity he had left. His room was too far. It was in clear view of the door. If they’d been looking...</p><p>Relax. Just relax. Keep your heartbeat even. No one needs to know you’re panicking.<br/>“Get down here, Raeken.”<br/>He stood as close to the wall as he could. Now would be a good time to be able to sink into the background. For the first time in a while, he wished he had Corey’s powers. If he could turn invisible, this would be okay. As it was, he didn’t know how to get out of this. This might be it. This could be the moment the Pack find out.<br/>“I want you out. Now.” Liam was short. To the point. Liam was nearing the end of his constraint.<br/>“Send the lying chimera down and I’ll gladly go.”</p><p>He flinched, the use of <em>lying</em> hurting more than he’d admit. It shouldn’t hurt this much. He’d been called far worse, but somehow, it was the fact people still thought of him as a liar that stung. Malia still saw him as an evil murderer. He knew that, but it didn’t stop the disappointment. Everything he’d done, every time he’d helped was for nothing. Malia would always see him as the villain and he couldn’t blame her.<br/>“Get. Out. Of. My. House.” Liam’s voice was practically a snarl by this point.<br/>“No.”<br/>“Get out!”</p><p>Out. He needed out. This was getting worse. Malia wouldn’t leave. Not when she knew he was so close. Not when she knew she was steps away from finding out. Maybe if he ran...<br/>The thought was still running through his mind, when he looked down and locked eyes with Scott. Heat flooded his cheeks. In the time he’d spent worrying, Scott had taken a step forward to ease the tension which threatened to spill at any moment. A step which brought Scott closer to the stairs and within sight. His control faltered, nearly letting slip how his heart skipped a beat or two... or five. He remained motionless, frozen in place as Scott finally looked away.</p><p>“We’re going.” There was a finality to Scott’s tone. An unwillingness to waver in his decision. Malia, as expected, put up a fight. She wasn’t ready to let this go. She never would be when it concerned him. That is, until something seemed to change and Malia abruptly left. She just walked out. No reason that he could see. Whatever happened, he must have missed it. It had to have been big though for Malia to give up. At least for now. The last thing he heard was Scott apologising, followed by the front door closing softly. It was then he reached breaking point. He couldn’t stay there any longer. He ran. He ran upstairs, the world around rendered a blur. His own door slammed shut behind him, signalling the rapid decline in his emotional state. He should lock it. If Liam came to check on him... His hand was on the handle instantly, turning the lock. He hated emotions. He could do without feeling like this. <em>Embarrassed. Afraid. Alone.</em> He didn’t need the constant reminders. The reminder he didn’t fit in. That he didn’t belong.</p><p>Letting his claws extend, he felt them cut his palms. The pain drew him back, grounded him. It tied him to the present, when he felt like he might drift over the edge. Past the point of no return. Slowly, <em>agonisingly</em> so, he noticed the pressure on his chest ease. He could breathe freely, calmly. Eventually he let his claws retract, no longer needing an anchor. As the reality of what had transpired sunk in, he couldn’t move. All he could do was lean his head against the wall and wish he was anywhere but here. It wasn’t the first time he’d wished for it, but it was becoming more prominent by the day.Every complication he had thrown his way made him want to run away and never return.</p><p>He couldn’t tell how long he’d been there. There was a clock next to the bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to look. He didn’t want to know how much time Scott had to locate Stiles. He already knew Malia was with him. Who was he kidding? The entire Pack probably knew by now. How was he supposed to face any of them again? How was he supposed to leave this room? Sighing, he stood up. This wasn’t how he wanted to be seen. He just wanted to be left in peace. For once. Pulling a hoodie on, he made his way to the kitchen. What would Liam think? Would he care? Yes. Liam had proven he cared. There was no reason to think otherwise. He stopped in the kitchen doorway. Liam had been cooking; there was food everywhere. It was a mess. He watched as Liam looked up to see him, taking a step forward.</p><p>“They’re gone. It’s okay.”<br/>“He saw.” He could barely form the words. It came out mumbled, almost inaudible.<br/>“Who?”<br/>“Scott.” It was impossible to meet Liam’s eyes. If he did, he didn’t think he could say it.<br/>“What did he see?”<br/>“<em>Me</em>. He saw <em>me</em>, Liam.”<br/>Sympathy and regret. That’s what he saw in response to the confession. Just what he didn’t want.<br/>“Theo...”<br/>“He’s probably already told Stiles. Malia. Maybe even the whole Pack.” Their laughter rung through his mind, echoing mercilessly. He could already picture Stiles and Malia endless taunts.<br/>“I’m sure he wouldn’t do that.”</p><p>“He came all this way to find out what I’m hiding, Liam. Is it really that hard to believe Scott might tell everyone?”<br/>“Scott wouldn’t hurt you-”<br/>“He sent me to hell!” His throat dried, forcing him to swallow the memories threatening to surface. It was a mistake to bring it up. He had basically put a spotlight on the effect it had, the damage it caused. If Liam wanted to talk about it, about what happened... he wasn’t ready for that. He couldn’t face Tara. Not when he was forced to every night.</p><p>“You’re right. We did, and I can’t begin to apologise for that. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to apologise enough. I can promise however, that Scott would never intentionally hurt you. Not again.”<br/>“He might not see it that way. Scott might think he’s protecting the Pack. What if he thinks they have a right to know? There is another witch in town after all.” Maybe they did. What if he was keeping a possible risk a secret? So far, the witch hadn’t shown any signs of causing harm to the town or anyone else. The only reason he even knew she was here was because of the curse. What if she was planning to? What if they were all in danger?</p><p>“This witch hasn’t shown any sign of attacking Beacon Hills. It has nothing to do with anyone, other than you and those you choose to tell.”<br/>He wouldn’t say he agreed fully. Not with the doubts circling his mind. Despite that, he nodded. There wasn’t much else he could do. Liam sighed when they heard another knock. Scott was back. This was it. This was where Scott confronted him. He’d known this was coming, but he didn’t want to face it. To face Scott. Instead, he withdrew. He hid on the other side of the kitchen whilst Liam opened the door.</p><p>“Haven’t you said enough?”<br/>“Liam, I meant it when I said I just want to talk. Especially now.”<br/>He couldn’t hear a lie. Was Liam right? Maybe Scott didn’t blame him after all.<br/>“Why?”<br/>“I’m sure Theo told you I saw him on the stairs.”<br/>He could sense the anger. Liam wasn’t happy about the reminder. “If you’re here to have a go at Theo-”<br/>“No, not at all. I understand the secrecy. Actually, I wanted to say I won’t tell anyone.” It  was sincere. Scott was sincere. Liam was right. Scott was thinking about him. About what he wanted. The question was, did that include everyone?<br/>Edging towards the hallway, without passing the wall, he asked, “Even Stiles? Malia?”<br/>When Scott sighed, he didn’t want to hear the answer. Then Scott spoke. “Stiles might be my best friend, but I know how he can be. Unfortunately, I know he wouldn’t react well. As for Malia... well, we all know that wouldn’t be good.”</p><p>“You mean they’d laugh and make my life miserable.” Dry and bitter as it was, it was the truth. Scott just sighed again. There was nothing to say. Not when you had to admit your best friend and girlfriend were cruel.<br/>“Theo, I’ll... we’ll fix this. I promise.”<br/>He would have preferred to avoid the attention.  Uneasy, he whispered a short ‘okay’ Luckily, it was enough to satisfy Scott, who left soon after. This curse had to end. He can’t take much more of this.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Scott</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They needed a day off. If only Beacon Hills wasn’t a constant target. The Nemeton has caused more problems than they could count. It summoned most of the enemies and hadn’t stopped after the war. Witches. They were battling witches. Some free time with no fights would be a nice change.</p><p>He felt bad for Theo. Being turned female would be confronting for anyone. He just wished Theo and Liam had trusted him enough to help. He wished they’d trusted him not to use the curse against Theo or to make fun of him for it. He thought by now they knew that. That he’d never intentionally hurt anyone. All he’d ever done was try to protect everyone. He knew he messed up when they sent Theo to hell. It was a mistake. One which left scars. He didn’t know the extent of the damage caused, but he did know the time underground had left its mark. He had seen the signs. Small and unnoticed by others, but he’d seen them. Sometimes, he wasn’t sure Theo realised what he was doing himself. The flinching, the worst of Theo’s barbed insults, the few short insights Theo had let slip... it all pointed to one thing. It had one piece in common.<br/><em>Hell.</em></p><p>Theo was scared to go back. To be sent back. Theo was scared and the Pack had on many occasions, threatened to do just that. Malia and Stiles had been the worst for it. Referencing Kira’s sword, calling Theo out, bringing up Tara. It didn’t stop. He’d tried to put an end to it as soon as he’d seen the toll hell had taken on Theo. He’d like to say he did something sooner, that he hadn’t waited. That he hadn’t let his anger keep him from realising what was happening. He should have told his Pack to stop the threats long before he did. He didn’t want to intimidate or scare people. That wasn’t how you won. It only meant you’d stooped to your enemy’s level. Which meant you were no better than the person you were fighting.</p><p>He would prove to Theo he wasn’t going to be sent away. He’d never let anyone send Theo back there. No one had brought it up since he’d demanded it be left alone. There were problems from Malia and Stiles at first, but they eventually accepted it. It might have been reluctant and in disagreement, but he didn’t care. As long as Theo wasn’t reminded of what lay beneath the ground every time the Pack was around.</p><p>He would make it up to Theo. He was going to find a way to turn Theo back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is for Sandy_at and SC14_Weirdo. I loved your suggestions and just had to write it. I hope you like it. 🤞😄</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Liam!”<br/>
He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe! There was red. So much red. It was everywhere. <em>Why was it everywhere?!</em> The toilet seat was supposed to be white, not red!<br/>
“Theo!” Liam stood outside the locked door. He could hear the confusion, the concern... the panic. “What’s wrong?”<br/>
“I- I don’t know.” It was true. He didn’t have a clue what was happening. It made everything so much worse. “I think I’m dying.”</p><p>That certainly got Liam’s attention. The door shook as the handle was forced back; it’s hinges screeching in protest. For a second, he thought Liam was going to pull the door off right then. “Open the door, Theo!”<br/>
It took longer than he’d like to reach the handle. He’d been standing against the wall, staring helplessly at the horrifying sight in front of him. It was nearly impossible to make his body cooperate. His mind kept screaming ‘dying! You’re dying!’ He couldn’t take his eyes off all that red. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to go back there. He didn’t want it to be real. The nightmares were hard enough; he couldn’t face Tara again. Not the real Tara.</p><p>A click sounded behind him; his shaky fingers found the latch. The door flew open and he stumbled back. Liam was staring at him with wide eyes. Scanning him. Looking for any sign of trouble. Any sign of where he was hurt. The frantic look soon gave way to an air of confusion. He met Liam’s gaze as the beta searched his own. For any idea of what this was.<br/>
“What is it, Theo?”<br/>
“Blood.” One word. It was all he could manage. The same word currently playing through his mind. A constant loop. It was just so red. There shouldn’t be that much. There shouldn’t be <em>any</em>.<br/>
“Where?”</p><p>He couldn’t answer. His mouth wouldn’t form the words. All he could do was point. Liam followed his gaze before coming to an abrupt stop. Mouth open and eyes stretched to their limit, Liam took in the scene. As the shock seemed to wear off, Liam cringed. That wasn’t good. It couldn’t be.<br/>
“Wha-what? Do you know what this is?” He really didn’t like the sympathy he saw.<br/>
“You’re not dying, Theo.”<br/>
“I’m not?” Oh, thank goodness. “Then why-”<br/>
“You’re not sick.”<br/>
Okay, no. That couldn’t be right. “This isn’t natural, Liam.”<br/>
“Well, you’re right about that.” Mumbled. Liam was mumbling and he was ready to punch the other boy. Just for once, he’d like a straight answer.<br/>
“<em>Liam.</em>”</p><p>All at once, the words tumbled out. He finally understood why Liam had been hesitant to tell him. He never should have asked.<br/>
“You’re on your period.”</p><p>His...<br/>
He was going to be sick. Where did the embarrassment end? As if he didn’t have enough to worry about. How is he supposed to deal with... <em>this? </em>He couldn’t even say the word. This had to be a joke. It had to be. It couldn’t- it couldn’t be real. Just... please, no. Liam was still watching. Waiting. He wasn’t rushed. He wasn’t expected to be okay. Liam gave him time to process (it wasn’t working), whilst staying close for support. That gaze... it was full of sympathy. There was something else, though. Something was missing. Disgust. It wasn’t there. He couldn’t find a trace of anything other than a desire to ease the burden.</p><p>Everything was overwhelming. He couldn’t be here. He needed to be somewhere else, <em>anywhere</em> else. Only half aware of what he was doing, he fled. He made it as far as his room before collapsing. He sat there, motionless. The world became a blur. He thought the bra was bad. His chest didn’t hurt anymore, but he didn’t want to be forced to continue wearing one. It turns out, Liam knew exactly how he felt and spent the last few days researching. There was a binder bra he could buy, designed for this exact purpose. Not for a curse, but to help flatten his chest. It was softer and allowed him to look a little more like himself. He owed Liam. He couldn’t describe how much this meant to him. It was one less problem to worry about. He felt like he was in control again, when everything else was falling apart. It was something positive in the middle of this mess. Then this happened. It was as if the universe was proving any hope was pointless.</p><p>Soon, a pillow was placed in his lap. He wrapped his arms around the cool fabric, desperately clinging to its comfort. It was Liam’s. The same one he’d laid on when the curse begun. It had been in the guest room with him ever since. Neither he nor Liam mentioned the fact he’d taken it. He didn’t even know <em>why</em> he did it. It was just so <em>soft</em>. “I can’t, Liam. I can’t do this.” Liam just waited for him to speak. No interruptions. No advice. Liam just listened. It meant more than he could say. “It’s one thing after another and <em>this</em>... Liam, it’s too much.”<br/>
“We’ll get through it, Theo. I understand how uncomfortable you must be. I can’t begin to imagine what this is like for you, but we <em>will</em> get through it. No one needs to know. I’ll get you what you need and it’ll be over before you know it.”</p><p>Liam.<br/>
Liam seemed to stand by him no matter what came up. Nothing had been too much. Nothing had been too weird. Liam seemed willing to be there for anything and everything. It was almost natural. The way Liam covered for him, effortlessly finding reasons and excuses for any question. The way Liam shielded him, preventing anyone from seeing him without cause and his explicit consent.<br/>
Liam had his back. No matter what.<br/>
“How are you so calm?” He didn’t understand how Liam did it. He was <em>this</em> close to a panic attack, and yet, Liam appeared unfazed.<br/>
“I dated Hayden, remember? I’ve bought her pads in the past and trust me, you’ve never seen her mood swings. Natural or not, you can’t be that bad.”</p><p>Being compared to Liam’s ex wasn’t as reassuring as Liam had probably intended. Nor was the prospect of needing a pad. He just wanted it over with.</p><p>~</p><p>A week.<br/>
It took a week for this monstrosity to end.<br/>
How do girls go through this every month? How do Lydia and Malia survive? It was a week of pain, mood swings and <em>more blood</em>. The sudden uncontrollable emotions coursing through him, threatening to spill at the smallest of comments, were confronting. The weight of each was nauseating. It became increasingly difficult to concentrate, to think. It was almost impossible to hide the truth from Jenna and David, what with his heightened emotional state threatening to give him away. There were a lot of questioning looks from Jenna, leading him to believe she knew. Liam promised that wasn’t the case, that even if Jenna knew something was wrong, she didn’t know what. As the pain became stronger, Liam wordlessly placed a hand over his own. The cramps ebbing away, he’d slump (if alone in his room) or squeeze Liam’s hand in silent thanks (when Liam’s parents were around).</p><p>It was over. That’s what he needed to focus on. That was all that mattered. Now, he just needed to break the curse... and soon. He <em>really</em> didn’t want to go through this again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Jenna</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>These boys had been through so much in their short lives. They deserved a break. They deserved something good. Something positive. She’d be damned if she wouldn’t give it to them. Liam helped everyone he could. Yes, there were some hiccups along the way. Anger had always gotten the better of her son, but that didn’t change his heart. Liam was one of the kindest, most caring people she’d ever known. This wasn’t a mother’s bias talking, either. It was an indisputable fact.</p><p>Then you had Theo. A boy who had been tricked into committing horrendous crimes. A boy who’d had his life ripped out from under him, and been turned into a science experiment. To play on someone’s fears, especially those of a child was unspeakable. When she found out the truth about Theo’s childhood, she regretted how harsh she had been. She didn’t regret protecting Liam. It was a mother’s job. No matter how old Liam was, that wouldn’t change. She did however, regret the look on Theo’s face when she had threatened him. She regretted the flicker of fear she’d seen.</p><p>At the time, she’d thought it was a sign Theo understood she meant every word of what she said. A small reassurance that Liam and his friends would be safe. Now however, she realised it was due to a lifetime of experience. She knew now, that Theo had been tortured and programmed to be a killer. </p><p>The Dread Doctors, as Liam had explained they were called, had lied to Theo. They had promised him a Pack and used him with no intention of keeping the agreement. How did she know all of this? She’d overheard Liam and Theo talking one night. She was passing the room Theo was staying in and caught part of their conversation. One which was rather concerning.<br/><em>‘They tied me up. Punished me if I didn’t come through on their assignments. They’d cut into me...’</em></p><p>Hearing the words ‘tied up’ made her stop, but the following ‘... cut into me...’ rendered her motionless. Liam had told her once that werewolves and chimeras could hear a person’s heartbeat. That they knew when someone else was around. If they’d known she was there, they would have stopped. <em>Theo</em> would have stopped. It went to show how sensitive the subject was, that neither one was listening to their surroundings.</p><p>She shouldn’t have listened. She knew that. Gosh, how many times had she told Liam it was rude to eavesdrop, when he was a child? Raising a curious child was anything but calm, and that hadn’t changed when he got older. She should have left. It was a private conversation. Despite knowing all of that, she just couldn’t walk away. Not without knowing what this was about. Not without knowing they were okay. That flicker of fear, that brief glimpse behind the mask Theo wore to protect himself, wasn’t caused by a mother’s protective instincts. It was caused by growing up with pain. With unjust punishment.</p><p>That’s why she’d decided to plan a day for the boys to relax. She wasn’t expecting applause or excitement. It might take a while to convince them they needed this. <em>Both</em> of them. Theo understandably preferred to stay out of sight. He rarely left his room when someone else was around. He didn’t eat until they had all gone to bed. Although she had noticed that the last couple of weeks, Theo had allowed Liam in more. At least Theo wasn’t alone in this. Then you had Liam. Her son had a habit of neglecting his own needs when he slipped into ‘carers mood’. She called it that ever since Liam was little. He was so concerned about the other person, about their needs, that he disregarded his own. Liam wasn’t sleeping, he ate less than usual and spent the entire day, every day, either looking for a solution or trying to ease Theo’s nerves. She loved how thoughtful and determined Liam was, but she was worried for his own health.</p><p>Now, she knew neither would be willing to leave the house. Which is why she’d set up their own ‘getaway’ if you like. Coaxing then downstairs was the hard part. She found them both in Theo’s room. Liam was in the middle of reading or should she say <em>rereading</em> a stack of books. The same books she’d seen days ago and before that. Liam was currently holding one she’d seen the most. She knew her son. She knew what he was thinking. Liam thought he must have missed something. That the answer had to be there somewhere, he just needed to find it. Theo, on the other hand, was spread out on the bed, practically smothering himself with a pillow. Every minute spent without an answer made it worse.</p><p>“Okay, boys. Let’s go.”<br/>Liam looked up, eyes narrowed. “Go where?”<br/>“You both need a break. You’ve been exhausting yourselves and it stops now.”<br/>“We’re fine, mum. I’m just helping, Theo. Once we find what we’re looking for, we’ll be able to put this behind us.”<br/>“Liam, you can’t keep going like this. Neither of you can. You need to sleep. You need to eat. You’re stressing yourself out. You’ll make yourself sick if something doesn’t change.”</p><p>That’s when Theo turned to face them. There was a trace of concern under his feigned composure. She didn’t know how Liam couldn’t see that Theo was worried about him. She had listened to Liam talking about how Theo could be infuriating, then about how hard life had been for Theo. For someone who was supposed to be able to read people, to sense a person’s emotions, Liam missed the obvious. She understood that Theo could mask his ‘chemosignals’, (Liam had explained a lot about the supernatural to her and David since the war), but there were other signs. Visible signs, which Liam should have seen. Maybe he did. Maybe he just didn’t know how to process them.</p><p>“What’s Jenna talking about, Liam?”<br/>“It’s nothing, Theo. I’m fine.”<br/>Sighing, she sat down on a chair near the bed. She was close to both boys should either of them need her. “Honey, you’re not. I know you want to help, Theo. I’m not saying you should stop. I want Theo to be okay as much as you do.” Theo cast a brief glance her way before returning to Liam. He hadn’t expected her to say that. What had Theo been through that left him so unsure? So distant? Even with everything she knew, she was certain that wasn’t the half of Theo’s trauma. “Liam, you won’t be able to help if you burn yourself out.”</p><p>Liam placed the book down, rubbing a hand through his hair, tiredly. “Mum, I have to. I have to be missing something.”<br/>“You’re an idiot, Liam.” Theo huffed. “I never asked you to put your own health at risk.”<br/>“There’s no time to rest, Theo! We’re no closer to fixing this, than when we started.”<br/>“I know that! I <em>know</em>, but you’re of no use to me unconscious!”</p><p>Theo was getting worked up. So was Liam. This wasn’t helping. “Let’s go.” Neither boy moved. They just stared at her confused. “I have a plan. A way to ease both your minds. It won’t help change the situation you’re in Theo, but it might help you both relax a little.”<br/>Grumbling, Liam followed Theo out of the room. Theo came along without much protest. She was sure it was only to ensure Liam came. At the bottom of the stairs, Theo came to a dead halt. Liam, who was a step behind, nearly fell.<br/>“A little warning would be nice, Theo.” The complaint died off as Liam finally took in the lounge. “Mum... What is all of this?”</p><p>“It’s somewhere you can take a moment to breathe. To take a step back and let yourselves enjoy the day. Enjoy yourself. I know you’re both in a difficult situation, but that’s exactly why you need this.” Liam didn’t speak. Nor did Theo. They were too busy looking at everything. “I know you don’t want to go out, Theo. This way you won’t have to.” She smiled at the openly tentative look she received. Theo was so taken aback, so surprised, he didn’t even try to hide how he felt. “You’ll be able to look at the books with fresh eyes when you go back. You’ll find something. I know you will. For now, just try to relax.”</p><p>With that, she left Theo and Liam alone. She was still within earshot when she heard Liam call dibs on the massage chair. Theo was quick to disagree, claiming he had first pick. The last thing she heard was the rush of feet and what must have been someone hitting the floor. So much for taking it easy. Then again, maybe for Theo and Liam, this <em>was</em> their way of relaxing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Who doesn’t love a supportive Jenna? 😄</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stiles. It was always Stiles.<br/>He was starting to feel more comfortable walking around the Dunbar house. He didn’t feel the need to cover up as much. Liam and his parents wouldn’t laugh. They wouldn’t tease him. Whilst Mason and Liam had yet to find an answer, Scott had kept his word. He hadn’t told Stiles. He hadn’t told anyone.</p>
<p>Malia did.</p>
<p>Malia told Stiles that he was hiding something, which to Stiles automatically screamed a secret plot. He only knew because Liam told him Stiles had turned up at Scott’s demanding to know what was going on. Nosy little shit. Nothing’s private when it comes to him. According to Malia and Stiles, he should be an open book. They expect him to share everything. Just because he made some mistakes (terrible mistakes), doesn’t mean he should need to reveal <em>everything</em> about himself. He’s still entitled to have his secrets. Like the rest of the Pack is. Like everyone is.<br/>Scott refused to say anything, insisting it wasn’t his secret to tell. Scott tried to reassure Stiles he wasn’t dangerous. That he wasn’t planning anything. Scott <em>tried </em>to explain it was something personal and not threatening, that no one was in danger and it had nothing to do with the Pack, but Stiles wouldn’t listen. No, that would be too kind. Too considerate. No, you see, Stiles was adamant that if he had nothing to hide, then there was no reason not to tell them.</p>
<p>Between them, Liam and Scott kept Stiles away. They wouldn’t let Stiles anywhere near him, and for that, he was extremely grateful. Even if they all knew Stiles wouldn’t give up. He, more than anyone, knew all too well how much time and effort Stiles would put into finding out the truth. Jenna and David were both aware and promised not to let Stiles in, should he turn up at the house.</p>
<p>A couple of days later, Scott suggested talking to Deaton again. It couldn’t hurt. It might even help. Maybe they would finally find an answer. Maybe they could finally put this behind them. He’d started to lose hope a while ago. Jenna’s ‘getaway’ had helped, but there was only so much calm that could be found when you were trapped in a woman’s body. It was driving him crazy. Yes, they’d been here before. He’d been here before. Yes, he’d thought he’d be stuck as a nine-year-old forever as well. It was just extremely difficult to stay positive, when every book was useless, every lead false.</p>
<p>Then Deaton wanted more information. Specifics. It was needed if they wanted to find out <em>exactly</em> what curse had been cast and how to reverse it, Deaton said. Scott said they should meet at the clinic. It was easier than trying to discuss by phone. He had to disagree. Emphatically. It might be easier for Scott, for Deaton, but not for him. He really didn’t want to go outside, not if he didn’t have to.</p>
<p>Liam promised to be there beside him the whole way. For a reason unbeknownst to him, knowing that calmed him. A lot. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. He had to. He had to. It would be okay. Only Scott and Deaton would be there. They wouldn’t laugh. There was nothing to worry about. It would be okay. He kept repeating it, reciting the mantras. To reassure himself. To prepare. He could wear Liam’s hoodies again. Cover up. No one had to see. He could do this.<br/>He had to.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He can’t do this.<br/>He can’t.<br/>Just... no. No, it’s- too much.<br/>Sitting in his truck, hands clenching the steering wheel hard enough that the metal groaned, he felt the needling fingers of panic slivering towards his heart. The thought of walking into the Animal Clinic, surrounded by Scott and Deaton, all eyes on him... he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe. “Theo?” Liam. Liam was calling. Liam was sitting beside him. “Are you alright?” He felt a steadying hand on his shoulder. It eased some of the tension there, but did little to calm his overall nerves. “Do you want to stay here? Mason and I can go for you.”</p>
<p>It was an out. An out he desperately needed. He forced a minute nod, barely enough to be identified as such. It was a miracle Liam saw it at all. The sound of a door opening preceded hurried footsteps. Cold air swept his face as his own door was pulled back. Fingers wrapped around his own, gently prying his from the steering wheel. A firm, supportive grip led him from the driver’s seat and back into the house. He ascended the stairs in a daze. A hall, followed by a bed... and blankets. They were pulled up, it’s all encompassing warmth a blessing.</p>
<p>“Just wait here, Theo. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll let you know what I find out.” He tracked Liam’s steps through the house. The front door locked. The ignition turned on. He listened to the truck reversing. Pulling out of the driveway. Disappearing in the distance.<br/>He sat there. Motionless. Breaths coming out in gasps. Now, Liam was gone, he had no anchor. Nothing tethering him. Grounding him. Liam was gone. The Clinic. Liam was at the Clinic. To help. To find answers. Liam was at the Clinic. For him.<br/>Everything Liam had done... <br/>It was all for him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Liam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Theo wasn’t handling this. Theo had been struggling for a while; each day more painful than the last. Theo seemed to be losing hope, and he didn’t know how to fix it. There was little more he could do. They needed to find something and soon. Leaving Theo like that... He wanted nothing more than to go back and make everything okay. To make sure Theo was okay. He had to remind himself he was doing this <em>for</em> Theo. That’s why he’s here. Deaton will know what to do. He has to.</p>
<p>“Liam. Where’s Theo?” Scott had been waiting for them. He was a little late.<br/>“He wasn’t up to coming. We’ve spoken about the curse though. I can answer your questions.”<br/>Deaton nodded, seemingly satisfied. Scott, on the other hand, was concerned. Scott had seen Theo and knew how hard this was. Deaton didn’t waste any time questioning him. “Liam, what does Theo remember about the night he was cursed? Did he tell you what the witch said? The reason for the curse?”<br/>Sighing, he took a deep breath before speaking. “He didn’t understand the spell or the words she used. He said she wasn’t happy when he turned down her advances though. We think she felt insulted and is out for revenge.”</p>
<p>“A witch who feels scorned can be quite dangerous. I would agree revenge is the most likely cause. It will, of course, change how we approach the situation from here on out.”<br/>“How?” How could it change something they haven’t even worked out yet?<br/>“We’ve been looking for appearance alteration spells, when we should have been searching for spells designed to teach a lesson.”</p>
<p>Wait. So they’d been looking in the wrong place this whole time? No wonder they hadn’t found anything! All those hours wasted! The weeks they’d spent looking for the wrong spells! It’s okay. They know now. They can fix it. They can find a way to reverse the curse. He was just about to ask Deaton where they should start, when the door was thrown open. Stiles stormed into the room unconcerned about the fact he was interrupting. He’d explicitly told Stiles to stay away from Theo and not interfere. Yet here they were. As always.<br/>“Where is he? Where’s Theo?” Stiles wasn’t wasting anytime, and he wasn’t in the mood.<br/>“Not here. So you can go.” He ground out through clenched teeth.</p>
<p>“Where is he?”<br/>“This has nothing to do with you, Stiles.”<br/>“This has everything to do with me! Theo is a lying, scheming psychopath and I <em>won’t</em> let him attack us again.” Stiles could be so closed-minded. It was a wonder he didn’t lash out right then. He’d punched people over a lot less than Stiles’ arrogance in the past. His anger wasn’t bias. It didn’t go easy on a friend, especially when he was beginning to question whether he and Stiles were really friends in the first place. Does Stiles care about him? Yes. Would Stiles try to keep him safe? Yes. Did Stiles <em>want</em> to spend time with him? As far as he knew, but it felt more like a Pack connection than actual friendship at times. Times like now. It felt different to what Stiles had with Scott. They grew up together, he understands that, but he doesn’t appreciate the open hostility towards Theo. No matter what Theo does, Stiles won’t accept it. Won’t accept Theo’s changed. Well. He wouldn’t tolerate anyone getting in the way of fixing this. Of helping Theo.</p>
<p>“How can you be so vicious?!” He was screaming, but he didn’t care. He was sick of Stiles’ accusations. “If you must know, Theo was cursed. <em>That’s</em> why he doesn’t want anyone to see him. <em>That’s </em>what he’s been hiding and before you ask, no. I’m <em>not </em>telling you what the curse is.” His outburst left the room in silence. No one had expected him to tell Stiles anything. He didn’t want to. He wished he hadn’t. Sadly, he didn’t have a choice. Stiles was never going to stop without a reason, and the constant digging, the constant presence was tearing Theo apart. He needed to talk to Scott and Deaton about what to do next, and he couldn’t do that with Stiles around.</p>
<p>“Wait.” Stiles stuttered. “Are you- you’re saying- <em>that’s</em> what Theo’s been hiding?” He didn’t answer. He wasn’t going to repeat himself. “It’s his appearance. It all makes sense now. No wonder he’s been so protective of his layers - and I do mean <em>layers</em> - of clothing. How has Theo not passed out from heat exhaustion yet? You know what? Not important.”<br/>He felt the growl rising before he heard it. Stiles’ wide grin was infuriating. Of course, Stiles was too preoccupied with revealing Theo’s secret to concern himself with Theo’s health. He shouldn’t be surprised by the heartless comment. The way Stiles simply shrugged off the notion of Theo not only being unwell, but <em>collapsing</em>, left him fuming. The sad thing is it was a very real possibility and he’d taken a lot of effort to avoid Theo getting <em>too</em> hot.</p>
<p>“What happened? Please. You have to tell me.”<br/>“Stiles.” Scott tried to put an end to Stiles’ questions, but when had that ever worked?<br/>“Oh no, Scott. I’m a part of this Pack, too. I have a right to know when there’s a witch in town.”<br/>He was through listening to this. “Shut up, Stiles. I’m not telling you. This has nothing to do with you.”<br/>“Liam, it’s a witch! A <em>literal</em> witch! If it’s really that bad, then I should be involved. You’re not sidelining me.”<br/>“I’m certainly not involving you.”<br/>Stiles huffed, bitter anger clear. “You know what? Go in alone. Do what you want. Theo can stay cursed for all I care. Come see me when you realise I was right all along.”</p>
<p>A broken nose might do Stiles some good. Maybe then Stiles would learn to keep his mouth shut. He would have too, except he was facing Stiles’ back, the other boy already leaving. Well, that, and Scott had a firm grip on his arm. If he’s being honest, that was the only reason he didn’t follow Stiles through the clinic. It didn’t however, stop his thoughts. It didn’t stop the image of Stiles holding his nose running through his mind. A deep breath - or ten - later, and he finally felt a small amount of control return. Focus. Just focus. There were more important things to worry about.<br/>Theo.<br/>That’s why they’re here. It’s why they’re talking to Deaton, whilst Theo was at home, waiting. Waiting on an answer. A lead. <em>Anything</em>.</p>
<p>“So, what do we do?” There was still a harsh edge to his voice, his earlier anger still present. “Where do we look for such a spell?”<br/>“Refer back to your books. There may be something hidden, a spell that went unnoticed due to your misplaced focus. I assume you only looked at certain pages?” Hearing his own words in Deaton’s neutral tone, sent a surge of frustration through him. So much time wasted.<br/>“There has to be more we can do.” If he had to spend another stretch of time looking at a mass of words, he might explode. His patience had worn thin, worsened by the interaction with Stiles, and he wasn’t the one they had to worry about. When Theo found out... it wouldn’t be pretty.<br/>“I will appeal to Pacifica’s coven. I make no promises, but for now, I think it’s our best course of action.”</p>
<p>He wanted to protest. To say it wasn’t enough, that he wasn’t prepared to sit around and <em>hope</em>. Hope hadn’t gotten them anywhere. He could practically hear Theo saying the exact same thing. He’d been hoping, no, <em>praying</em>, since this started and they were no closer to ending all of this. What was the point, though? He didn’t have a better idea. He didn’t have any idea. Deaton was right. This was the best and <em>only</em> plan they had. Deaton promised to let him know as soon as he contacted the coven or Pacifica herself. Scott promised to let him know if anything came up. That left him alone.</p>
<p>Once he was back in the truck, he let a tired sigh pass his lips. He’d been too worked up before, too angry... too <em>desperate</em>. Now, he had to tell Theo and let him know. He’d promised to tell Theo what happened; a promise he needed to keep. Should he wait until he got back? It would be better to tell Theo face-to-face. He should wait. He knows that, but he also knows how stressed Theo must be. It’s been hours since he left the house. Hours of nothing. If it were him, he’d want to know as soon as possible. It was that thought, which had him searching for his phone. Fishing it out of his pocket, fingers trembling, he made the call.</p>
<p>Now, if Theo would just pick up...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It didn’t stop. Why wouldn’t it stop?<br/>His hand was already hurting.<br/>The pain as present as when he’d caused it.<br/>It didn’t stop.<br/>It wouldn’t <em>stop</em>.<br/>It just kept ringing. There, on the table, his phone chimed. The ringtone an incessant alert. Liam’s name flashed on screen. It was that image, those four letters, which left his heart pounding. Liam promised to keep him involved, to tell him what Deaton said. That’s why Liam was calling. It had to be. That’s why he couldn’t answer. He just... couldn’t bring himself to do it. Once he did, there was no going back. There was no reversing the decision. What if what Liam said wasn’t good? What if the call was to say there was nothing they could do? He couldn’t stay like this. He couldn’t be <em>stuck</em> like this.</p>
<p>The phone continued to vibrate, each ring a constant drone, taunting him. Reminding him of reality. A reality he couldn’t deny, no matter how much he wished he could. The call rung out, stopping as it went to his answering machine. Instead of the imminent ding to signal a new voicemail, the ringtone returned. He swallowed, eyes fixed on where his phone was still ringing. Another two calls came through. One after the other. Then it stopped. The silence wasn’t reassuring though. No, as much as he’d wanted Liam to stop calling, the silence was instead unsettling. The sudden <em>ding</em> startled him. Staring back at him was a text. With a shaky breath, he stepped forward, hesitantly grabbing the phone. He could barely unlock it with how much his fingers were trembling. At least no one was here to see him like this. Panicked about a simple text. <em>Literally</em> shaking. That would have been the end of any sense of pride he still had. When he finally succeeded in opening the app, he read the message slowly.</p>
<p>
  <em>To Theo:</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Deaton agrees the witch likely wants revenge. It’s not an appearance spell. He thinks the curse is supposed to teach you a lesson. We were looking in the wrong place, but there might be an answer in one of these books, after all. Scott’s going to help.</em>
</p>
<p>As he finished reading, a second text appeared.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <em>To Theo:</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Deaton said he’ll try to contact Pacifica or her coven again.</em>
</p>
<p>The phone dropped, hitting the table hard. The wrong place. <em>The wrong place?!</em> Damn it! Why can’t anything be simple? Why can’t anything be easy? Just for once, he’d like to be able to breathe in peace. No problems. No obstacles. Just one day where he could pretend to be normal. To be like everyone else. One day where he could pretend he wasn’t a chimera responsible for the death of his sister. One day where he could pretend the supernatural didn’t exist. Instead, he was stuck with one witch after another cursing him and messing with his life, as if it were a joke. As if it were a game. ‘First one to embarrass Theo the most, wins.’ Well, they were certainly succeeding.<br/>He just wanted his life back.</p>
<p>In a moment of pure rage, he lashed out. There was no holding back. No restraint. It wasn’t until several minutes later, as he drew in heavy breaths, he noticed the damage. The blood dripping down his hand. The broken bones trying to heal. <em>The mess.</em><br/>Jenna wouldn’t be happy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Liam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He was out of the truck the moment he parked, barely stopping to lock the door. (He made sure he did because Theo would kill him if he left it unlocked.) Theo never picked up the phone. He’d called four times and nothing. He even sent two texts, only to have them go unanswered. Something was wrong. Theo wouldn’t just ignore him. Not now. Not about this. Theo had to know that’s why he was calling. Why he <em>kept</em> calling. Theo wanted to know, was <em>desperate </em>to know, so there was no reason not to pick up. Not unless something had happened.</p>
<p>He wanted to pry the front door off, but a sliver of reason prevailed. Fumbling with his keys, forcing them into the lock as fast as he could, he repeated to himself ‘it’s locked’. If the door was locked, then nobody had broken in. Not from here, at least. He took in the hallway as he entered - untouched and as he’d left it - he registered two heartbeats. His mum’s and Theo’s. Theo was alive. His mum was okay. That was one thing. He heard his name called but he didn’t stop. She was okay. It was Theo who wasn’t answering his phone calls. His mum could wait. He needed to see Theo. To know he was okay. He ran upstairs, barely thinking. Standing outside the door to what was currently Theo’s room, he finally took a moment to breathe. Theo’s heartbeat was steady. Theo was alive. There was no discernible trace of pain. Wrapping his hand over the handle, he turned it slightly, edging the door open.</p>
<p>Peering inside he saw...<br/>Theo.</p>
<p>Sitting flat against the wall, holding one hand over his knees. Blood. Coating the cradled hand. There were two holes in the wall. One bigger than the other. Jagged. Splintered. Smeared blood covered the edges of broken plaster. Drops of red stained the carpet.</p>
<p>“What happened?” He didn’t hesitate to sit beside Theo. Theo might not be in imminent danger, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurting. It was more than his hand, which had no doubt been broken before he got here. It would have healed well before he even pulled up in the driveway. This was about a boy whose life was spiralling out of control from under him. A boy who didn’t know what to do. A boy who couldn’t see a way out.<br/>“Let’s just say you’re mum got more than she bargained for.” He concern must be visible because Theo sighed before continuing. “She’s fine. Jenna just came home to find me like... well, like this. She wasn’t impressed about the holes.”<br/>“Mum understands, Theo. We all do.”<br/>“I can’t believe everything we’ve done was for nothing.”</p>
<p>What could he say? Theo knew everything they did and that wasn’t much. They were back to hoping, and he’d been clear on how little that helped. It was an attribute neither of them liked lately. He wasn’t going to give Theo a speech about being positive or how this would all be over soon. Whilst he <em>did</em> hope that would be the case, he couldn’t shake the lingering doubts. The persistent thought that it might not be. That he might not be able to break this. He didn’t know what he’d do if that were true. If he couldn’t get Theo back to his own body. He didn’t know what Theo would do, if they realised they couldn’t reverse this.</p>
<p>He didn’t know how long they’d been sitting there, when the door opened again. This time it was his mum who walked in. Theo looked away, gnawing at his lower lip, but Jenna merely sat down on Theo’s other side. Offering a supportive shoulder to lean on.<br/>“Jenna, I’m sorry-” Theo didn’t get any further. His mum wasn’t hearing any of it.<br/>“You have nothing to be sorry about. I can repair the plaster easily. David just had to run to the store. What matters is that you’re okay.” He’d never doubted his mum’s forgiving nature. She’d never hold a moment of vulnerability against someone. “I see Liam’s been filled in. I did <em>try</em> to warn him.”<br/>Oh. So that’s why she was calling him.<br/>“We’re here for you, Theo. No one’s giving up.”</p>
<p>It was good to know one of them was still so sure. They were lucky they had his mum - and dad - on their side. She meant every word she said and they needed it, now, more than ever.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a couple of days, Deaton informed them that the coven were adamant Pacifica could not be contacted. Her assignment was ‘too important to be interrupted’. His situation wasn’t deemed ‘dire enough’ to warrant calling her back. No, that would require him to be dying. According to a group of witches, he could wait. Just because he wasn’t dying, didn’t mean he wasn’t suffering. It just wasn’t enough apparently. There was also no way to know when Pacifica would, in fact, be back. It could be a few days or several months. For all he knew, she could be gone for years. He was <em>not </em>waiting around indefinitely for these witches to deem him worthy of their help. Even if the coven had offered to inform them of a counter spell they could use, if they could confirm what spell had been used to cast the curse.</p>
<p>So far, once again, their search had come up empty as well. There was absolutely nothing in any of these books. Even with the correct information to go on. Scott hadn’t found anything, either. They were back to square one, with nothing to go on. Which is why they were here. In the middle of Liam’s room. Arguing.</p>
<p>Liam had lost his mind. Truely lost his mind. It was the only explanation for why they were having this conversation. It should have been over. It should have been behind him. He was sure Liam, Mason, Corey and Scott understood why he didn’t want to do this. He’d thought they understood how much he didn’t want this. Apparently, he’d thought wrong. Turns out, they’d just been quiet on the subject until they felt it was time for it to resurface. At least Mason and Corey had the sense to stay home. They’d chosen to stay out of his line of sight, knowing all too well how angry he’d be. Here he was, arguing with Liam and <em>refusing</em> to let either of them tell Stiles.<br/>“It’s not happening. End of story.”<br/>“Theo, I know you don’t want to but-” Liam begun. He really didn’t care what Liam had to say right now.<br/>“No, Liam, you don’t. If you did, we wouldn’t be here.”</p>
<p>Scott was trying to maintain some degree of calm. They both knew how easily this pissed him off. He had <em>every</em> right to be pissed, when the two of them were proposing he tell one of two people who would make his life miserable. That wasn’t just a possibility. It was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. As soon as Stiles knew, the jokes would start. Once Stiles knew, Malia would know and that would only lead to more comments. Endless taunting, wherever he went. Even if they managed to break the curse, they wouldn’t stop.<br/>“We’re here, Theo because we don’t have any other options. I don’t want to bring Stiles into this any more than you do, but we don’t have a choice. We’ve tried everything we can think of and for what? We’re exactly where we’ve always been. Nowhere. Stiles might be able to find something we haven’t.”</p>
<p>“I said, no.” He had to take a deep breathe to prevent him doing something he’d regret. To stop him from punching Liam.<br/>“Theo-”<br/>“It’s my body!” He was screaming now, but he didn’t care. “I’m the one who will have to listen to Stiles for the rest of my life! God forbid he get a photo.” Just thinking about it made him cringe. Liam’s whispered, ‘I thought you were an atheist?’ was unwarranted.<br/>Scott looked conflicted. As if he didn’t want to believe it. “Stiles wouldn’t do that.” He was right. They were best friends. He should have expected as much.<br/>“Are we talking about the same person? It’s the <em>first</em> thing Stiles would do.”<br/>He saw the reluctance on Scott’s face. The reluctance to believe him. To accept it was true. He understood, in a way, but he also wanted Scott to understand why he couldn’t, <em>wouldn’t</em> do this.</p>
<p>Then Liam spoke. “I won’t let him.”<br/>He scoffed. “How do you plan on stopping him?”<br/>“I’ll take his phone if I have to.”<br/>He found himself scanning Liam’s face for any sign of a lie, any trace of deception. There was nothing. Liam meant it. Every word. He wouldn’t be there alone. Scott and Liam would be there, and neither of them would willingly let Stiles mess with him. Not that they could stop the jokes. That was impossible. They could at least prolong when he’d have to face it. They were also right. This could be his only chance at finding a way out of this. He couldn’t avoid it forever. As much as he hated to admit it, he had no choice.<br/>“Fine. Just get it over with.”</p>
<p>Scott made the call and he had to wait an hour for Stiles to show up. Apparently, Stiles was too busy to get here any sooner. The truth was, Stiles wanted to make him wait. To draw this out. He’d heard about Stiles turning up at the clinic the other day. Stiles wasn’t busy. No. Stiles was enjoying the fact he’d asked for help. The fact he <em>needed</em> help at all. This was a game to Stiles, and he was on the verge of snapping when he finally heard the doorbell. Footsteps sounded in the hall, getting closer with each step until they stopped in front of him. He met the insufferable grin with a glare.<br/>“Theo. Nice to see you.”<br/>“Cut the crap, Stiles.”<br/>“Well, then. Straight to business. So? Who wants to tell me what this is all about? What’s so bad, you’ve gone to this extreme to cover up?” He could hear the amusement in Stiles’ voice. Unfazed, Stiles was openly enjoying his discomfort.<br/>“<em>You’re</em> here. Did you really expect me not to?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, fine. You’re embarrassed and all. Which, by the way, totally awesome.” Was it too late to change his mind? To kick Stiles out? Would it be wrong if he knocked Stiles out? I mean, it wouldn’t be completely unwarranted. Stiles was basically asking for it. “Back to the point, though. What’s the curse?” Stiles didn’t flinch when he continued to glare. “If you’re not going to answer, then I’ll just go.”<br/>His heart skipped a beat as Stiles turned to leave. Liam and Scott tried to stop him, but Stiles refused to listen. ‘A waste of his perfectly good time’, Stiles said. He really had to do this, didn’t he? Damn it.<br/>“Wait.”<br/>Stiles turned back, a sly grin in place. He closed his eyes. He didn’t need to see Stiles’ grin when he said the words. The same words he’d been dreading ever since Scott had called Stiles. If he muttered it, he didn’t care.<br/>“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”<br/>Letting out a deep breath, he started again. “‘m a ...em...e.”<br/>“You’ll have to speak up, Theo. I still can’t hear you.”<br/>Claws digging painfully into the soft flesh of his hands, focusing on Liam’s growl (Liam was still here), he said it one more time. This time clearly. “I’m a female.”</p>
<p>Silence. Actual silence with the exception of their heartbeats. No one spoke. No one moved. It was suffocating. He finally opened his eyes... and regretted it immediately. He was met with the silent laughter in Stiles’ eyes. He saw the way Stiles was beginning to shake from the effort of holding back, before Stiles just gave in and let it out. He growled, frustrated and uncomfortable. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks, undeniably visible for all to see. He knew the moment Stiles noticed, as it elicited another bout of laughter. This time, louder and hysteric.<br/>“Stop. Laughing.”<br/>“I-I can’t. This is- this is too good.” Stiles just continued to laugh, occasionally looking up at him, only to fall into another bout of laughter. “You’re just so red! I never thought I’d see the day where you were actually blushing!”</p>
<p>“Stiles, that’s enough.” That’s it Scott? That’s all you have to say?<br/>“I <em>told</em> you this was pointless. I <em>told </em>you Stiles wouldn’t help.” He shifted, uncomfortably, all too aware of his body (the one he was trapped in, anyway).<br/>“Oh, I’m- I’m going to- h-help. I just- can’t believe this is happening. This is the best day ever! I can’t wait to tell Malia. She’ll love it!”<br/>That’s it. He was done restraining himself. He couldn’t be held responsible for attacking Stiles, when <em>he</em> was the one being laughed at. It was self defence. His pride had been insulted, and he wouldn’t stand for that. Taking a step forward, he realised Liam was now standing between him and Stiles.<br/>“You are <em>not</em> telling Malia.” Liam’s tone was hard. There was no room for argument, and yet, that didn’t stop Stiles.<br/>“You better believe I am. This is just what we’ve been waiting for. Something we can use against Theo.”</p>
<p>He took another step forward, letting a growl slip. He only stopped when he felt a light touch of skin against his hand. He was standing directly behind Liam now, and Liam’s hand was resting against his own. A sign of support. A simple act of reassurance. An attempt to comfort him.<br/>“I suggest you take this seriously, Stiles. Theo is one step away from snapping, and if that happens, I won’t protect you.”<br/>That seemed to work. Stiles finally seemed aware of the danger he was in. Taking a step back, he saw the glimmer of the situation sinking in, as Stiles put a little more distance between them. “Okay. Relax. I won’t tell her.” Stiles was lucky Liam was still shielding him. It wasn’t Stiles Liam was protecting. It was him. They both knew that if he lost control and attacked Stiles, there was no telling what he would do. There was no telling when he’d stop. Possibly even <em>if</em> he’d stop.</p>
<p>“So, what do we do?” Liam asked reasonably, still trying to diffuse the situation.<br/>“I’ll talk to Derek. He has books on every supernatural creature that exists. He has an entire branch on witchcraft. We were actually talking about it the other day. I’ve been curious ever since you were cursed the first time, and Derek has an unbelievable amount of knowledge on the subject. I’ll ask Derek what he thinks.”<br/>“Why does everyone’s suggestions always involving more people knowing?” Wasn’t Stiles enough? They had nearly told the entire Pack by now. Even Liam’s parents knew. He was just thankful none of the girls were aware. Lydia was none the wiser about their chance encounter at the mall, (a miracle in and of itself, given her intuition), and he’d like to keep it that way.<br/>“Comes with the territory. Plus it’s fun.” The smirk Stiles shot his way fell at the snarl that escaped his lips. “Yeah, okay. So. I’m just going to- I’ll go.” With that, Stiles backed up and practically sprinted through the front door.</p>
<p>“I’ll be in my room. Come find me when you have something.”<br/>He ignored Liam and Scott’s protests. He didn’t want to hear them. He didn’t want to hear anything, unless it was a way to get his own body back. Nothing else mattered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Stiles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Will this lead pan out or will it be yet another false hope?</p><p>Theo’s in for some trying times.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>What do you think, Derek? Do you know what curse it is?”<br/>“It’s a spell designed to reflect the person’s faults. It takes what offended the witch and turns it back on the person cursed. In this case, Theo. He must have made the witch feel insulted in regards to her gender.”<br/>He had arrived at Derek’s shortly after he left Liam’s. Theo wasn’t impressed with his humour, and he didn’t want to piss the chimera off anymore than he already had. Not now, at least. “So, what now? Do you know a spell to reverse it?”<br/>“Not a spell, but there is a way.” Derek pulled a book off one of the lowest shelves, opening it to a page near the end. “Here. This is what Theo will need to do.”</p><p>Reading the enchantment, he sighed. “This won’t be easy.” When was the supernatural ever easy? Everything was so complicated. Just once he’d like it to be straightforward.<br/>“It’s the only way.”<br/>“I know, Der. Theo’s still not going to like it. What’s ‘essentia de maledictus’ and ‘signum de innocentia’?”<br/>“‘The essence of the cursed’ and ‘a sign of innocence’.”</p><p>“Essence of... innocence... what are you talking about?”<br/>Derek sighed. Like he was the only one tired of this mess. Theo really needed to think before he spoke around witches. Who gets themselves cursed twice? Seriously. It’s ridiculous. For someone who supposedly acts purely out of self-preservation, Theo certainly doesn’t act like it.<br/>“The blood of the cursed. I don’t know what a sign of innocence is referring to.”<br/>Okay, that’s disgusting. “Why does witchcraft always involve nauseating ingredients? Why can’t it be something simple like water?”<br/>“You’re lucky that’s all it was.”<br/>“What’s worse than blood?” Derek had to be joking. Using someone’s blood for a spell.. he felt sick just thinking about it.</p><p>“Liquor de maledictus.”<br/>“Derek you know I don’t speak Latin. What exactly does that mean?” Derek’s grin left him uneasy. He already knew he wouldn’t like the translation. “What Derek?”<br/>“The fluid of the cursed.”<br/>“The fluid... seriously. What is that?”<br/>Derek’s grin grew. “Urine.”<br/>And... that was too much. He ran out of the room, a desperate attempt to reach the bathroom. Collapsing, he threw up. He didn’t want anything to do with magic again after this. When he finally begun feeling better, he trudged back to where Derek was standing.<br/>“I told you you’re lucky it’s only blood.”<br/>“Shut up, Der. Witchcraft is disgusting.”<br/>They’d need to talk to Deaton. Maybe one of the coven witches he knew could tell them what ‘a sign of innocence’ meant.</p><p>If there was one thing he was sure of, though, it was that Theo owed him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Liam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’ve extended this story by two chapters, so it’s not quite done but ‘When Your Body Changes’ is coming to an end.</p><p>I hope y’all have enjoyed the story so far and I’ll have the final chapters posted shortly. 😄</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the text came through, he didn’t think much of it. It was probably just Mason checking in. Like the previous fifteen texts he’d received. He reached out to grab his phone, with the intention of sending a quick reply saying ‘nothing had changed’, but stopped when he saw the senders name appear on screen. <em>Stiles</em>. Without another thought, he’d pulled the phone into his hand, unlocked it and had the message open in the blink of an eye.</p><p>
  <em>To Liam:</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Derek and I found something. I’m on my way.</em>
</p><p>This was it. They may have finally found what they’d been looking for all along. To think, all they had to do was ask Derek. They could have saved a lot of time and effort. Not to mention reduced the stress-fuelled fights. As soon as he heard Stiles pull up, he ran downstairs and opened the door just as Stiles reached the front steps. Stiles who pushed past him and into the house. As he closed the door behind him, he noticed how Stiles was scanning the rooms.<br/>“You’re text said you found something.”<br/>“Where’s Theo?” Stiles wasn’t listening.<br/>“Stiles-”<br/>“I want to see him. Really see him. Without the added layers of clothing.”<br/>“No.” He should have known Stiles wouldn’t just tell them what they’d found. He should have known there would be a catch.</p><p>“Oh, come on! This could be my only chance!”<br/>“I’m not letting you mock Theo, Stiles. Besides, it’s not up to me. It’s up to Theo, and I can tell you now, Theo is not going to agree to that.”<br/>“No jokes. Got it. Just a quick look-”<br/>“What part of ‘no’ do you not understand?” If Stiles wasn’t here to be productive or useful, then he could just leave. Neither he nor Theo needed to deal with Stiles’ curiosity.<br/>“Just one look, and I’ll tell you everything we know.”<br/>Judging by the wide eyed stare he received from Stiles, and the fact Stiles took two large steps away from him, he knew he’d shifted. He could feel his enlarged teeth; claws out. “This isn’t an ultimatum, Stiles.” He growled as Stiles took another two steps backwards, increasing the distance between them. “Now, do you know something or not?”</p><p>“We do.” Stiles admitted, voice cracking by the second word. It was as if Stiles had forgotten he was a werewolf. You don’t try to blackmail a werewolf <em>or</em> a chimera. “Derek found a summoning spell we can use to locate the witch responsible for cursing Theo. Once we’ve found her, we can trap her using a herb similar to mountain ash. Deaton spoke to the coven of witches again and asked if they could translate certain ingredients. They filled in the blanks and explained how, when and where the spell must take place in order for it to work.”<br/>“When do we start?” They could do this. They were finally on their way to getting back to normal.<br/>“Midnight. In the heart of the preserve. There’s something you should know before we go.”<br/>“Whatever it is, it can wait.”<br/>“No, Liam. It can’t. The spell... like I said. It’s designed to summon and trap the witch. It won’t make her remove the curse.”</p><p>He sighed, looking at the nervous energy surrounding Stiles. “What do we have to do to change Theo back?”<br/>“That’s just it. There is no spell. Not to change Theo back ourselves, and we can’t compel the witch to remove the curse either.”<br/>This was beginning to sound less like a solution and more like a obstacle too high to cross. “Then what? You do have a way around this, don’t you?”<br/>“I do, but you won’t like it. We can summon the witch, but Theo has to convince her to change him back. She had to do it willingly.”<br/>He just stared at Stiles in shock. This wasn’t happening. This <em>couldn’t</em> be happening. “What are you-”<br/>“I know it’s not the preferred option, Liam, but there’s no other way. The curse was designed to teach Theo a lesson. The only way to reverse it, is for the witch responsible for casting the curse to decide he’s learnt his lesson. Since Theo was the one to offend her, he’s the one who has to make it right.”</p><p>“You expect Theo to <em>talk</em> to her?”<br/>“If he doesn’t, he’ll be stuck like this.” Stiles said it with such certainty, his breath hitched.<br/>“This isn’t going to work.”<br/>“Why?”<br/>“Why do you think, Stiles? You’re asking Theo to go back and see the woman who did this to him.” He couldn’t imagine what Theo was thinking right now. It was reasonable to want to stay as far away from that witch as humanly possible. He would if it had been him.<br/>“Maybe next time he won’t insult someone with magic. On second thought, maybe Theo will finally stop insulting everyone he meets.” Stiles just couldn’t help himself.<br/>“Go home, Stiles. We don’t need you. I’ll deal with this myself.” He pulled the front door open, leaving no room to argue. When Stiles had left, not just outside, but when the Jeep was out of sight, he made his way up to Theo. He really wished he didn’t have to do this.</p><p>Pausing outside Theo’s room, he tried to build the courage to go through with this. He knew Theo would hate the idea. He was also well aware Theo had heard the entire conversation.<br/>Inside, Theo was curled up under the blankets. He could only just see a thin mass of brown hair above the line of fabric. In any other situation, it would have been cute. Why did he keep calling Theo cute? Anyway, this was anything but. This was a nightmare for Theo. They’d finally found a solution, and even then, it was possibly worse than not knowing at all.<br/>“I’m not doing it.” Blunt as ever.<br/>“Theo-”<br/>“Don’t say it.” It was slightly muffled by the covers, but he could hear Theo’s discomfort.<br/>“There’s no other-”<br/>“There <em>has</em> to be!” Silence filled the room, broken only by Theo’s sharp swallow. He just wanted to give Theo a break. A break from all of the problems Theo’s faced in such a short life.<br/>“I don’t want to ask you to do this. I wouldn’t, if I knew what else to do. Of course you don’t have to; no one’s going to force you, but if it’s the only way...”</p><p>He watched as Theo slowly pulled the covers back, taking a deep breath before speaking. “I can’t. I can’t go back there.”<br/>“I get it, Theo. I do.”<br/>“How do we even know Stiles was telling the truth? He could have been making it up to mess with me. This could all be a game to him. I wouldn’t put it past Stiles to try it. He still blames me for what happened with Malia and Kiley’s doll. Neither of them believe I didn’t know. Stiles could be using this as payback-”<br/>“You heard Stiles’ heartbeat. So did I. It was the truth.” He wished it wasn’t, but it was. There was no way around this.<br/>Voice whisper-thin, Theo looked up to meet his eyes. “I can’t face her. What if- what if she refuses? What if I make it worse?”</p><p>“Theo.” What could he possibly say to make this better? “I’ll be right beside you. You won’t be alone. Just tell her the truth. She can’t be mad at you for being who you are. Explain it was all a misunderstanding.”<br/>“What if that doesn’t work?” Theo’s voice wavered towards the end. It spoke to how worried Theo was, that he didn’t notice any sign that Theo even realised he’d let his control slip.<br/>“I’ll make her.”<br/>“Liam, you can’t- it has to be willing- you can’t-”<br/>“I promise, Theo. No matter what happens tonight, she will change you back.”</p><p>He had every intention of keeping that promise.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were surrounded by trees. The Preserve stretched around them in all directions. He was back here. Back where it started. In the middle of the Preserve, where he’d first seen the witch. Where she’d cursed him. He wasn’t alone. He really wished he was. Except for Liam. He couldn’t do this without the beta. Stiles, Derek, Deaton, Mason and Corey were preparing the sight. Deaton and Stiles were creating a ring of some mysterious herb. It was supposed to trap the witch. As long as it worked, he didn’t care what it was called. Mason and Corey were mixing and laying out the ingredients for the spell. He didn’t know what half of them were, nor did he want to. Part of him said that knowing would be more disturbing than anything he could ever imagine. All he knew was it required his blood to activate the summoning spell. A fact he was less than thrilled with.</p><p>Derek was making sure everything was correct, which mostly equated to keeping an eye on Stiles. He didn’t know how Derek did it. Dating Stiles had to be tiring. Then you had Liam, who was standing beside him. Liam hadn’t moved an inch as they waited at the side of the clearing. There was nothing for them to do until Deaton said everything was ready. Until then, he had to wait. His nerves were running wild within him; his body a jittery mess. Thankfully, he managed to shield the truth from the Pack. He kept his anxiety under lock and key inside him, hidden from the world.<br/>“Done.” Stiles called, making everything seem so much closer than it had a minute ago.<br/>“Stand here, Theo.” Deaton pointed to a patch of a grass near the herb barrier. “Do you remember what Stiles told you to say?”</p><p>Latin wasn’t his strong suit, but he understood enough to pass. He just hoped that would be enough. “Yes.” Two sentences. Eleven words. He could do this. All he had to say was ‘I call upon ye witch. I summon thee to thy place of reckoning.’ In Latin. At the exact moment the bell chimed. The bell Stiles had conveniently placed directly to his left. He could do this. Despite the cold night air, he was sweating. The nerves were the main cause, but the extra clothing certainly wasn’t helping. Just a few more minutes and he could take them off. A few more minutes and he wouldn’t need them anymore. Liam was right. It was going to work. He could do this. He waited for everyone to leave; everyone except Liam. He had refused to have any other witnesses. There was nothing Liam didn’t already know when it came to this particular witch. Nothing that might come up that he’d prefer to stay secret. The Pack, on the other hand, were in the dark about a lot. More than one of which could come up tonight, and he didn’t want to risk any of them being revealed to the Pack.</p><p>When they were alone, just the two of them, Liam stood towards the outer ring of the clearing, without leaving his sight. Deaton had made it very clear that no one else could be near the herbs. Liam made sure to stand back just far enough to ensure there was no risk to the spell, but close enough that he could see Liam the entire time. The bell chimed and he let out a deep breath.<br/>“Dolores inferni circumdederunt me pythonissam. Ego vocare te locum tuum rationem.” The herbs caught fire, flickering blue, moonlight reflected within the flames. Then, as suddenly as the flames had appeared, they vanished. Not extinguished, just gone. As though they had never been there. Just like Stiles had described. There, in the middle of the circle, stood the witch. A young girl roughly their age. He swallowed at the hard look in her eyes. The indignation.</p><p>“This is an insult. Was our first encounter not enough?” Her voice was laced with hatred. This wasn’t off to a good start.<br/>“I just want to talk.”<br/>“You’ve said your piece. I’m not interested in more of your mockery. The mere fact you cover your body is proof you’ve learnt nothing.” A wind blow through the Preserve, rustling the surrounding trees and whipping his hats and scarfs off. A click of her fingers and the hoodies were gone. He was left standing there in only a t-shirt and pants. Nothing to hide behind. Any sense of confidence he had was lost. It was then he heard more trees rustling. Only this time, it wasn’t magic. It was a person. Someone crashing through the leaves. Sticks snapping underfoot. Harsh breaths on the cold night air. Stiles stumbled through the trees, shouting, “Theo. I forgot to tell you, <em>auxiliare captivum!</em>” Stiles skidded to a stop upon seeing the witch. “I’m too late.”</p><p>He had a bad feeling about this. “Why? What does auxiliare captivum mean?”<br/>“It means,” the witch sneered, “‘hold thy prisoner’. Your friend’s mistake means I’m free to leave anytime I choose. Don’t call on me again.” She raised her hand and he panicked.<br/>“Wait!” If she disappears, that’s it. It would be over. Any hope of getting back to his own body would be gone. Liam stepped closer to help, but he shook his head. A minute movement, but one that Liam saw nonetheless. It had to be him. He had to convince the witch to let him go. To show him mercy. Ignoring Stiles’ obvious staring, heat flooding his cheeks and neck, he pleaded with her. “Don’t go!” She wasn’t impressed. He swallowed the rising nausea and met her glare. “Please. I only came to ask you to turn me back. To remove the curse.”</p><p>“Why should I? You clearly haven’t changed. Not when you had the nerve to turn up hidden. If you feel you must hide your new form, then you haven’t learnt to respect those around you. You haven’t learnt kindness or acceptance. You haven’t learnt to appreciate beauty for what it is: universal and all-encompassing. Not subjective as you would like to believe.”<br/>“I didn’t mean to hurt you.” This was getting worse by the second. If she decided she didn’t want to listen, if she simply left... “I wasn’t trying to offend you.”<br/>The witch’s lips curled in disgust. “What did you expect would come of such a crude, disrespectful insult?”</p><p>“That’s just it! It wasn’t supposed to be insulting. Please. I’m here to try to explain why I said no.”<br/>“I think you made yourself perfectly clear. You’re obsessed with one’s looks. If they don’t meet your standards, then their not beautiful. They’re flawed. Let me tell you, that is not the case. It is your conceited disdain that is flawed. Until you learn to see the world for what it is, you shall remain as you are. In a body you despise. A causality of your own making.”<br/>This wasn’t working. It was getting so much worse. Everything he said only made her angrier. He had no choice but to explain the reason he’d said no. Which meant revealing one of his most closely guarded secrets. He glanced at Liam, who was currently forcing Stiles to leave the clearing. They both knew what was coming, and Liam had made sure Stiles wasn’t there to hear it. He really had to thank Liam once this was all over. <em>If</em> this was all over.</p><p>Once he was sure Stiles was far enough away, he took a deep breath and forced himself to say the words. “This is all a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean to suggest you weren’t beautiful. You are. It had nothing to do with you at all. When I said you weren’t my type, I meant girls aren’t my type.”</p><p>There was a change. Her eyes seemed to soften, her posture easing. The anger he’d seen there before had been replaced by regret.<br/>“This wasn’t about beauty at all, was it?”<br/>Shaking his head, he waited. He was afraid if he got his hopes up, that she would change her mind. She raised her arm, light emanating from the palm of her hand. The light trailed out in a stream, connecting with his chest. A chill set in, deep within his bones. A wave of nausea swept through him. It felt wrong. Empty. His control slipped, his heartbeat increased. He couldn’t hide his fear. At that moment, Liam crashed through the trees. Eyes aglow.<br/>“Theo!”<br/>“Fear not. I am only mending my mistake.”<br/>“Then why does he look scared?” Liam was barely holding back. Any minute now, Liam would snap and lunge at the witch, without any hesitation.</p><p>“I wouldn’t interfere if I were you. There is no telling what unanticipated effects may occur should you prevent me from finishing. You may very well injure your friend or cause a fate worse than a gender change.” He swallowed around a hardened lump constricting his throat, eyes widening as he cast a pleading glance to Liam. Begging him not to do anything drastic. He had know idea what might happen, but he knew he didn’t want to find out. Liam relented, an agreement visible in the glance he received in return. He didn’t have to worry about Liam. Even with the anger issues, after spending so much time together between these two curses, he knew Liam wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. “The spell emits a cold current as it reshapes Theo’s body. It is working from the inside to restore his true form. I assure you, he will be safe.”</p><p>He waited. Eyes closed. He couldn’t watch. Please let it work. It had to work. It just had to. It was another few minutes before the sensation of the witch’s magic disappeared. The remnants took longer to fade, the icy cold lingering in the depths of his chest. It felt as though he were beginning to thaw. Liam’s gasp left him conflicted. There was a chance that meant it hadn’t worked. That he was still...<br/>“Theo.” Liam sounded happy. Wait. If Liam was happy, then... “You can look.”<br/>Slowly, he opened his eyes. It felt like he was back in the clinic, waiting to be 23 again. Now, he just wanted to be a boy again. Please. <em>Please</em>, let him be right. When he saw himself, he felt the air leave his body. Eyes closing once more in relief. He didn’t trust himself to speak. Not yet. It worked. It actually worked. He was finally himself again. When he thought he could speak straight and form audible words, rather than a mumbled string of gibberish, he smiled at the witch. “Thank you.” It was breathy but no less sincere.</p><p>“It was the least I could do. I have unjustly wronged you, and for that, I am in your debt.” She conceded.<br/>“There’s no need to- Really, this is enough.”<br/>“I didn’t get to introduce myself the last time we met. My name’s Belladonna.”<br/>“I’m Theo, and this is Liam.”<br/>“If there is anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask.”<br/>“You don’t need to-”<br/>Belladonna didn’t give him a chance to finish. She just continued talking as if he hadn’t said anything. “-let me know. You may consider this adequate compensation, but it is only the beginning of what I owe you.” On second thought, maybe Belladonna had heard him. She pressed a piece of paper into his hand. It contained her phone number. It seemed strange to be given a witch’s number, but then again, none of this was ordinary.</p><p>“Theo.” Liam’s voice was careful and soft. “The brand?”<br/>He’d completely forgotten about the brand. The permanent reminder. Was it back? Did the spell remove it for good? Just look. It’ll be fine, just check. One look and... there it was. Staring back at him. Taunting him.<br/>“Theo.” He looked up to find Liam standing in front of him, a look of concern in his features. There was also an unexpected brightness around Liam. Everything appeared enhanced... his eyes. He was mid-shift. If he couldn’t even control his shift anymore, then what did he have left? “I take it it’s back?”<br/>“No, Liam. I’m thrilled. Everything’s perfect.” He hated this. He <em>hated </em>it. “<em>Obviously,</em> it’s back.”</p><p>“Excuse me for interrupting, but what, may I ask, is this about?”<br/>Belladonna... Belladonna!<br/>“Hunters seared a brand into my chest. It disappeared as a result of your curse, but now it’s back. Would you- would you be able to remove it?” He couldn’t mask the hope in his voice, the desperation it carried.<br/>“I might however, it is dependant on a few individual factors. How long ago did you receive the mark?”<br/>“It’s been months since the hunters...” Breathe. Just breathe. They weren’t here now. They were in jail. They couldn’t hurt him. “Since they kidnapped me.”<br/>“How did they manage to brand you? The burn should have healed.”</p><p>“I was human at the time.” Belladonna raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Another curse.”<br/>It wasn’t hard to know what she was thinking. He’s had the same thought himself; it was an unending loop. Two curses. In a matter of months. It was also easy to read the expression which followed. He knew it all too well, and he <em>really</em> wished he hadn’t seen it.<br/>“I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. Our magic... We use what is natural. We use what already exists. We can add to or alter a person’s body, but we cannot remove part of it. The brand, if caused by magic, could be reversed. Yours, sadly, is a part of you. I wish there was more I could do.”<br/>All he did was nod. What else could he do? He didn’t trust himself to speak. Not now. Not when he’d found out he was stuck with the reminder the hunters beat him.<br/>“Let’s hope the next time we meet is under better circumstances.”</p><p>He was alone. With Liam. In the Preserve at midnight. Praying.<br/>Yes, you heard right. <em>Praying</em>.<br/>Belladonna was gone.<br/>The brand was permanent.<br/>He was free of the curse, but not the hunters.<br/>They still owned him.<br/>He should be happy. He was happy.<br/>He just couldn’t shake his disappointment.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Did anyone notice Coach’s quote from the show? I’d love to know if you did. 😁</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was peaceful. Quiet.<br/>No one was home.<br/>He walked in with Liam and took a deep breath. As much as he loved being himself, (please let that be the last time he was in a different body), he just wanted to be rid of that cursed brand. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. Not now. Not when he knew it was back. Not when he knew it was permanent. The couch was soft. Not as soft as the beds, but still very accommodating. He sunk in, ignoring Liam’s gaze. He didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to face reality. He just wanted to disappear. He’d even choose sleep over reliving the past few days.<br/>“I have an idea.”<br/>“That’s a new one. Don’t strain yourself.”<br/>“Don’t be a dick.” Liam’s scoff was somewhat reassuring. It was familiar, comforting. It shouldn’t be so welcoming, so calming, but it was. He couldn’t deny that. At least not to himself.<br/>“Aw, did I hurt your feelings?”<br/>Liam ignored him. “What if you change it?”<br/>“Change what?” He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t sceptical.<br/>“The brand.”</p><p>“What are talking about?” How was he supposed to change something that was a part of him? Something that not even magic could heal?<br/>“You could turn it into a tattoo. Make it your own.” He just stared at Liam who didn’t pause for a moment. “You could take back control, change the meaning. You can prove the hunters don’t own you. No one does.”<br/>“That’s... that’s actually a good idea.” He’d never considered it. Changing the brand into something else. Something that was his. Giving himself back his power.<br/>“Do you know what you’d choose?”<br/>“No. I never thought I’d have one.”<br/>“Don’t rush. Think about it. It should be something important and meaningful to you.”<br/>Liam was right. He could wait. It wasn’t a brand. Not anymore. Not if he chose to give it a new meaning. It wasn’t a brand... it was the beginning of his new tattoo.</p><p>It was nice knowing he didn’t need to leave immediately. Just knowing he didn’t have to sleep in his truck tonight was a relief. Liam invited him to stay for a few days, so he could settle into being free of the curse and coming to terms with the prospect of getting a tattoo. Although, the tattoo wasn’t really the problem. He was rather excited about it, actually. He liked the idea of having something personal etched into his body. An image that couldn’t be taken away, (with the exception of another curse, which he really hoped he never had to deal with again). No. The real problem was he wanted to stay. More than he cared to admit. He shouldn’t indulge the fantasy. That’s all it was. This wasn’t his house. They weren’t his family. They were Liam’s. He didn’t belong here. Not like that. Not in a way that he wouldn’t have to leave.</p><p>He gave it three days. Three days of taking in as much as he could before accepting the truth. It was time. He had to go. It hurt too much to see what he was missing. To know what he’d given up by siding with the Dread Doctors. The friendship he was building with Liam was already more than he thought he’d have. Seeing Liam with Jenna and David... He wanted that. He wanted what he’d never had. A family who cared for and loved you unconditionally. A family who would do anything for you. His parents had never been those people. The people who you could count on when you were in trouble or upset. It’s not that they were <em>bad</em>. They weren’t abusive or anything. It’s just that they were distant. He never had the close bond with his parents that Liam shared with Jenna and David.</p><p>He had to go. Before he made a mistake. Before he said something he couldn’t take back. He couldn’t risk Liam noticing his reluctance. He didn’t want to risk Liam finding out he was homeless. With a quick thank you, he was ready to leave. Jenna wished him luck and made him promise to be careful. David smiled and reassured him everything would be okay. He didn’t think David would be as cheery if he’d been upfront about where he lived. That would change everything and not for the positive. They’d see him as more of a charity case than he was now.<br/>Liam...<br/>Liam walked with him to his truck. It felt like the last time, after the first curse, only this time he knew the stakes. He knew the curse was over. He knew the brand wasn’t. The other difference, was this time he had a way to resolve it. He may not be able to remove it completely, but he could redesign it.</p><p>Just as he thought he was in the clear, Stiles showed up. The look on Liam’s face told him Stiles had been warned against coming here. This had to happen eventually, though. There was no way around it. Not unless he avoided the Pack for the rest of his life. Not unless he left Beacon Hills. Neither were favourable and the former was impossible. More so than usual in a small town. Then add the fact no one took their eyes off him. With the exception of Liam, who seemed to actually want to spend time with him, instead of just monitoring his every move. It was inevitable that Stiles would bring up what happened in the Preserve. They may as well get it over with.<br/>“What do you want, Stiles?”<br/>“Can’t I stop by for a friendly visit?” At his raised eyebrow, Stiles laughed. “I can’t believe I kept a straight face through that. I have to say, I think I preferred your previous look.”<br/>“Give it a rest.”</p><p>“Feeling exposed?” That smug grin was back. The worst part was that he did. He’d been seen by almost the entire Pack in a compromising situation. Even Malia knew what he’d looked like thanks to Stiles. She may not have been there, but she’d still be sure to remind him any chance she got.<br/>Luckily, Liam was here to hold him back. Scott would never forgive him for tearing Stiles’ throat out. It also gave him a sense of comfort knowing someone was on his side. He tried to even out his breathing; without the restraints of his control, it would have been racing.<br/>Liam spoke calmly but with no room for negotiation. “Back off, Stiles.”<br/>“What’s wrong? Theo can’t handle a little humour?”<br/>“I won’t tell you again.”<br/>“Can’t fight your own battles now, Theo? You need your bodyguard to protect you?”<br/>One swipe. One carefully placed claw. That’s all it would take. He wouldn’t go through with it. Just a little scare, a reminder of what he was capable of. A reminder he wasn’t someone to mess with. A hand on his shoulder stopped that thought in its track. Liam. Just focus on Liam.<br/>“You really do need a bodyguard, don’t you?” Stiles kept laughing.</p><p>A growl slipped out, menacingly low. “<em>Stiles.</em>”<br/>“Oh no. You don’t get to tell me to stop. You owe me.”<br/>He was going to kill Stiles. He was actually going to kill the sarcastic brat.  He doesn’t have to put up with this. No matter what had happened, he didn’t deserve to suffer through Stiles’ endless  insults and inflated arrogance. “I don’t owe you anything.”<br/>“I’m the one who saved your ass. Without me, you’d still be a wallowing in self-pity as a woman. Not to mention I waited until <em>after</em> you were cured to fill Malia in on your predicament. We both know there would have been no hiding from her had she known earlier. She still hasn’t forgiven me for not letting her know the second I found out. Isn’t that right, Liam?”<br/>“Are you really asking me to side with you, Stiles? You found a spell, that’s all, and whilst we definitely appreciate it, that doesn’t mean you can harass Theo. You’re also the one who nearly let Belladonna escape.” Liam was furious, composure breaking.</p><p>Stiles didn’t know when to give up. According to Stiles, the words didn’t exist. They were a figment of imagination made up by people who weren’t prepared to fight for what they wanted or believed. “A small mistake. It happens.” Oh, he’d love to wipe that smugness of Stiles’ face. “You owe me, Theo. Consider it compensation for emotional trauma. I’m psychologically scarred by what I learnt whilst searching for a way to break <em>your</em> curse.”<br/>This can’t be real. “<em>Emotional trauma?</em> Really, Stiles? There’s nothing in any of those books that could traumatise you.”<br/>“I beg to differ. One word, Theo. Urine.”<br/><em>What? </em>What was that supposed to mean? “You’ve lost your mind.”<br/>“You don’t believe me?” He rolled his eyes at Stiles’ glare. “Let me enlighten you. Do you remember using your blood to activate the spell?”<br/>“Of course I do. What does that have to do with anything?” This was getting old fast.<br/>“You’re lucky that’s all it was. It’s one of the only spells that use it.”</p><p>“Why is that lucky? I don’t know what you’re into Stiles, but I don’t particularly enjoy cutting myself and bleeding onto herbs.” At least he got to annoy Stiles. Watching the way Stiles’ eye twitched was amusing.<br/>“Every other spell involved using your urine instead.” The grin on Stiles face was infuriating.<br/>He froze. So did Liam. What could he say to that? If it had been any other spell... he cringed. It was a nauseating thought. The clear grin from Stiles was unsettling. The other boy was enjoying his discomfort way too much.<br/>“Not so keen on the alternative, are you? You know what they say. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”</p><p>Good people don’t kill. Good people don’t kill. Maybe if he said it enough times it would become true. Maybe he could refrain from making a mistake he couldn’t take back. Focus. Think of the positive. One of the few reliefs he’d been permitted. He thanked the universe for not choosing a different spell. As much as it pained him to say, Stiles might be right. “Alright. I owe you.” That admission was exactly what Stiles had been waiting for. The smile he received in return made him cringe. He could feel Liam’s eyes on his back. Yes, Liam. He was well aware he’d just given Stiles unknowable leverage against him. He was aware it wouldn’t lead to anything good, but he didn’t have a choice. It didn’t really make a difference anyway. Stiles believed he owed a debt, and that wouldn’t be forgotten whether he agreed or not. Fighting it would only make it worse.</p><p>He just hoped whatever Stiles made him do wasn’t too embarrassing. Oh, who was he kidding? It would be humiliating. Stiles would make sure of it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One more chapter to go. 😁🥺</p><p>I’ll miss this story but i’m ready for the next part in the series. 😁</p><p>Thank you to everyone who’s read, liked and commented on my work. 😄</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Theo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was it. It had been a week since he’d left Liam’s, a week since his encounter with Stiles. Stiles had yet to call in a favour, which only made him increasingly uneasy. He had no idea when it would happen or what it would be, and he was really starting to stress. For the moment however, he put all of that to the side. It was finally time. He was here. Seated in the small waiting room of a tattoo parlour not far from Beacon Hills. It was one of the few which catered to the supernatural as well as their regular clients. He didn’t want to share this with anyone other than Liam. It was personal, and he wasn’t ready to invite people in yet. Not like that. Not when it meant opening up. This way he didn’t need to involve Derek. The only one who needed to know was Liam. It was only fair. After all, this was Liam’s idea. Much to his surprise, he found he wanted to tell Liam. It felt right. He wasn’t ready to invite people in yet, but maybe Liam was the exception.</p><p>He’d been thinking about it all week, and he’d finally decided on what he was going to get. Liam said to choose something meaningful. Something significant. He’d taken that to heart, deciding on a design that was both simple and special. The images meant a lot to him, but it was the word in the centre which stood out the most. It was the part that spoke to him more than the rest. That one word revealed everything.</p><p>“Theo?”<br/>When he looked up, the tattoo artist was holding the door open for him. As he walked in, he felt his nerves setting in. There was no going back from this. There was no changing his mind. Unlike humans who could have their tattoos removed, (it was messy and lingering marks always remained), his would be permanent. Once it was there, that was it. The door closed sealing his decision.</p><p> He just hoped Liam wouldn’t mind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you again to everyone who’s read this story up to this point. 😄 I’ll post part 3 as soon as I can. 😃</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>